“I am a tech fan, but not a gadget freak,” says Lene Merethe Liodden, newly appointed CEO of Mechatronics Innovation Lab. The 49-year-old was selected from a strong field of candidates to lead the national test center located in Grimstad.
“I am very much looking forward to getting started. Mechatronics Innovation Lab serves an important role in the region and in society at large. MIL is bridging academia with business life and is actively supporting progress and value creation,” says Liodden.
For the last seven years, Liodden has managed a large product portfolio in MHWirth with end-to-end responsibility of products for pipe-handling and Moonpool operations. Her previous work experience includes Technical sale, Advisor and Project Manager at IBM, Capgemini and Pragma/Evry. Liodden holds a Cand. Scient degree in Mathematics and an International MBA from Murdoch University in Australia.
TECHNOLOGY AS AN ENABLER
“For years, technology has been a big part of my life. As an executive of technology companies, I always need to understand the technologies involved in our day-to-day operations. But I will never be an expert on any of them,” says Liodden.
“MIL is already well equipped with experts and even expects to strengthen that going forward. My role will be to help make technology an enabler for greater efficiency, value creation and new products and services,” says Liodden.
She is impressed by the level of competence at MIL and in the Agder region. She regards this as “a well-kept secret”.
“MIL definitely helps to tell the story of a region with world-class competence and technology,” says Liodden.
A TOOL FOR THE SUPPLIER INDUSTRY
Following years with falling revenues and downsizing of personnel in most supplier industry companies in Agder, Liodden sees new opportunities.
“MIL can be used as a tool for repositioning of the supplier industry in Agder. MIL can be an arena for testing existing technology in new market and industries, such as deepsea mining and offshore wind, but also to develop future-proof solutions for existing markets,” says Liodden.
She starts her new position on August 1.
“The Board of Directors is very pleased that Liodden accepted the position at MIL. She brings extensive experience from technology and mechatronics and a background and qualifications which will help develop the company,” says Gøril Hannås, Chairperson of Mechatronics Innovation Lab and Vice Rector at the University of Agder.
