Global Centre of Expertise
In 2014, due its unique global market position and its important contribution to Norwegian value creation, the cluster was granted the status of a Global Centre of Expertise.
Global Centre of Expertise are a new top level in the Norwegian cluster program and it has been referred to by Norway’s former Minister for Trade and Industry, Monica Mæland, as the industry’s Champions League. Three business clusters in Norway are currently carry this status: the Blue Maritime cluster (for shipbuilding and shipping operations), the NODE cluster (for oil equipment/drilling cluster) and the Ocean Technology cluster (for oil and gas subsea). It is a national status awarded by the government to the most global and rapidly growing business clusters in the country. It will assist in increased value creation and strengthened attractiveness and position within global value chains, through strategic collaborative projects between the cluster’s partners and with external partners.
The Blue Maritime Team
The GCE Blue Maritime Cluster project is run by the innovation company ÅKP AS and can therefore draw on the extensive expertise and excellent network in this knowledge environment. The project is managed by a distinguished and balanced steering committee, consisting of key people from the maritime business in the region, county and NTNU Ålesund. This means that the team working with GCE Blue Maritime Cluster is highly flexible and is able to react quickly, whether to challenges from the Norwegian or international business community, or to input from the knowledge environments. It means we are well positioned to create new opportunities for the Møre maritime cluster.
Pierre Yann Major will start as Head of the Cluster on March 1st; up until that date, the constituted head of the cluster is Kirsti Slotsvik.
The Steering Committee
- Njål Sævik – Chairman, CEO, Havila Shipping
- Johnny Aarseth – EVP Integration & Energy, Kongsberg Maritime
- Stig Remøy – CEO, Olympic
- Geir Larsen – EVP Sales, Brunvoll Group
- Håvard Sætre - CEO, Sirius Design & Integration
- Håvard Vollset Lien - VP Research & Innovation, Vard Group,
- Cathrine Kristiseter Marti – CEO, Ulstein Group
- Unni Grebstad – CVO/CEO, Ocean Visioneering
- Kristian Voksøy Steinsvik – CEO, SINTEF Ålesund
- Anne Seth – NTNU Ålesund
- Gunnar Hareide – Chairman of the Board, ÅKP
A cluster is a geographical proximate group of interconnected companies and associated institutions in a particular field, linked by commonalities and externalities.
– M. Porter (1998)