Nor-Shipping has revealed the shortlist for its Young Entrepreneur Award, with four organisations across a diverse range of maritime and ocean industry activities competing for the prestigious accolade.

The winner, who must be under 40, will be crowned at Nor-Shipping 2019’s Opening Ceremony in Oslo Town Hall on 3 June.

Unlimited potential
The four individuals, teams and organisations reflect Nor-Shipping’s revised remit of unlocking new commercial opportunities for maritime and business players within the ocean space. The award partner, YoungShip International, led an independent jury that select the four nominees.

They represent the increasingly important segment of aquaculture (through Karoline Sjødal Olsen, CEO of Blue Lice), marine environmental clean-up (with Inty Grønneberg, CEO of Ichthion), bunkering and clean energy (the Connect LNG team of Magnus Eikens, Morten A. Christophersen, David M. Knutsen, Miriam E. Wennberg, and Stian T. Magnusson), and green tourism (in the form of Brim Explorer executives Agnes Árnadóttir and Espen Larsen-Hakkebo).

Big challenges, big ideas

“These companies and individuals encapsulate the ambition, fresh-thinking and technological innovation we’re looking for in the next generation of maritime and ocean industry leaders,” comments Nor-Shipping Director Per Martin Tanggaard.

“Individually they are tackling some of the most pressing challenges and concerns facing our industry with their own ‘big ideas’, doing their bit to create profitable, sustainable and genuinely game-changing business opportunity for our industry. In some ways it’s a shame that only one of these organisations will take away the trophy at our Opening Ceremony. Their talent, creativity and hunger for commercial success makes them all worthy of celebration.”

New solutions
Each of the contending finalists has potentially breakthrough technologies and solutions within their respective niches. Olsen’s Blue Lice has developed a way of trapping sea lice before they can attach themselves to farmed fish, protecting stock and enhancing production efficiency.

Ichthion has patented three technologies to extract plastics and other pollution from seas and rivers, with one solution utilising a marine turbine to actually generate electricity while simultaneously removing plastic.

Connect LNG’s breakthrough is in the form of its proprietary Universal Transfer System (UTS) – a jetty-less transfer system for LNG, liquid CO2 and hydrogen between ship and shore. UTS potentially resolves the biggest bottleneck in the clean energy value chain, enabling rapid rollout of energy infrastructure for the maritime industry.

Lastly, the Brim Explorer team has developed an all-electric, aluminium and glass vessel design for green tourism in the Norwegian Arctic. The company is currently building the first of its silent running, zero emission 140 PAX ships.

The winner of the award will receive a trophy from Norwegian Minister of Trade Torbjørn Røed Isaksen at a VIP ceremony attended by King Harald of Norway, alongside a host of international business and political leaders. Nor-Shipping’s Next Generation Ship Award winner will also be revealed on the day.

Global gathering
Nor-Shipping 2019, Your Arena for Ocean Solutions, takes place in Oslo and Lillestrøm, Norway, from 04 to 07 June.
In all around 35,000 delegates, from over 75 countries, with close to 1,000 exhibiting companies, are expected to attend Nor-Shipping’s Lillestrøm-based exhibition and diverse programme of activities taking place across the Norwegian capital.

Award Partner