Conferences

Bømlo-based Matre Maskin is a supplier of special products and systems for active firefighting to global customers in the energy sector, and in recent years has also had significant deliveries to offshore wind power. The company was established in 1953, and in 2023 had a turnover of NOK 77 million, with an operating profit of NOK 11 million. About 70% of the turnover went to export.

The main deliveries are self-developed fire extinguishing systems for helicopter decks and processing plants.

Firenor International, with headquarters in Kristiansand, is a leading supplier of special products and systems for active firefighting within the global energy market. Matre will be continued as an independent subsidiary under its own trademark of Firenor International. The acquisition will be completed in the third quarter of 2024.

The acquisition of Matre Maskin expands the customer base, and strengthens both the offer portfolio and the market position of Firenor International. Matre is still an important supplier to Firenor, and it is expected that more synergies will be achieved through the acquisition.

“The companies complement each other, and through the acquisition Firenor International is strengthened, through increased capacity, expertise and experience,” says Carl Adam Rosenblad, CEO of Firenor’s parent company Concejo AB, which is listed in Stockholm.

“Our strategy is to help build the right competence, ensure favorable framework conditions, and accelerate the transition,” says Tom Fidjeland, CEO of GCE NODE.

Based on a strategy seminar, questionnaires, and in-depth interviews, more than 200 people provided input to the new GCE NODE strategy for the remainder of the decade.

“The two major questions that were asked and answered during the process were: How to approach the green transition? And how to address the activities in oil and gas, which is still core business for many participating companies,” says Fidjeland.

“Going forward, GCE NODE will help cluster participants succeed in both existing and new markets and industries,” adds Fidjeland.

The 2020s have been labelled “the decade of transition”. Technology transfer and the green transition will greatly influence GCE NODE companies, and all other companies, in years to come.

“This is the dominating backdrop for our new strategy,” says Fidjeland.

For three years, the collaboration project Future Offshore Wind (Fremtidens Havvind) has brought Agder together to establish offshore wind competence and industry in the region.

At year-end, the project will be terminated and – if every- thing goes according to plan – replaced by a new project designed to continue to unify and promote Agder as a powerhouse for offshore wind development.

“It would be unwise not to build on what we have already achieved. Future Offshore Wind had three goals. One was to establish a national competence center for offshore wind in Kristiansand. This was accomplished in 2023 with support from the Norwegian government, Sparebanken Sør and others. Another goal was to establish an operational base for offshore wind. This is now being facilitated by commercial players,” says Fidjeland.

What remains is to establish a marshalling port in the Agder region and to comprise a supplier network for offshore wind.

“We intend to build project organizations that will work towards these goals in coming years,” says Fidjeland.

Keeping the momentum also makes sense given the new Norwegian licensing round in 2025, which is promised to be much larger than the initial round, and a steady flow of European projects.

“It is important to keep up the good work and prolong the initiative that has benefitted the whole region. The work done in Agder has been noticed by both the government and the consortiums bidding for licenses. We will continue to stand strong together,” says Fidjeland.

He is certain that offshore wind will be a large and important industry for the Agder region in coming years.

“The offshore wind market is rapidly growing, and the industry is becoming more profitable. The latest licenses for bottom-fixed European windfarms were awarded without any subsidies. We will see many new projects, and our region and our industry will take its share of the market,” says Fidjeland.