“Saving the world is always a great business idea. Technology and competence from the oil and gas industry will help develop solutions that will be good for the environment and that can be exported to the whole world. Thus, these solutions will also be good for Norwegian value creation,” says Daniel Bjarmann-Simonsen, State Secretary (Conservative Party) at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries.
He was invited to open the annual regional oil and energy conference in Kristiansand – formerly known as the oil and offshore conference. The re-branding is indicative of the ongoing transfer of technology from oil and gas to other ocean industries.
“Our story is the story of the oceans. Norway is a small country on the global stage, but a super power of the oceans. Ocean industries are some of our most innovative, future-oriented industries,” said Bjarmann-Simonsen.
“We will continue to harvest the oceans, and oil and gas will play an important role for decades to come. Yet, things are changing at an increasingly rapid pace. Even though a lot will remain the same, we will definitely do things differently 40-50 years from now,” said Bjarmann-Simonsen.
The conference, organized by GCE NODE, DNB and Kristiansand Chamber of Commerce, drew 250 people.
