GCE NODE is a partner in SFI Smart Ocean, a center for research-based innovation, hosted by the Department of Physics and Technology at the University of Bergen. SFI Smart Ocean creates a wireless, smart, low-powered sensor network extracting data which will provide valuable input to governmental regulators, the ocean industries, and scientists working on value creation, environmental questions, and climate changes.
“We are part of this center to provide dissemination of research result. However, in this early stage of this SFI we are highly involved in ensuring alignment of requested use cases. This is done in close contact with the industry to help with the offshore digitalization of existing markets and during the green transition” says Christian von der Ohe, RD&I Manager at GCE NODE.
For ocean industry to co-exist with nature in a secure and sustainable way, data and facts are needed. Today, this is done through numerous measurements in the ocean, coastal areas, and fjords, from ships, buoys and radio-controlled or autonomous vehicles. There is, however, a demand for real time measurements and long-term data collection, needed to do systematic monitoring of important parameters of critical underwater locations over time.
41 people from SFI Smart Ocean gathered in Bekkjarvik, Norway recently to discuss use-cases and the pilot-demonstrators. The gathering included a visit to IMR’s Research Station at Austevoll. This provided firsthand knowledge of the facility, and ideas and inspiration for how to utilize the station when designing a main pilot-demonstrator.
During a workshop input was given from end-users to the different work packages. This will greatly help in focusing the future work and ensure value for the ocean industries. Bjarte Fagerås (GCE Ocean Technology), Christian von der Ohe (GCE NODE), Kristian Blom (NCE Seafood Innovation/Aquacloud) and Jon Hellevang (GCE Ocean Technology) provided insight into oil&gas, offshore wind, aquaculture, and marine minerals.
SFI Smart Ocean research partners include the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, NORCE, NERSC and Havforskningsinstituttet. Industry cluster GCE NODE and GCE Ocean Technology are among the user partners.
The next workshop is scheduled for October. “We appreciate further input from the industry,” says von der Ohe.
