Ocean Now: InterACTION in red, white and blue

Answer: The shared belief that “the sky is the limit” and that together we can help to maintain Norway’s position as a strong, future-oriented shipping nation.

After being relocated from Oslo to Haugesund and, thereafter, merged with the Norwegian Ship Registers NIS/NOR, the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) has evolved from being an old-fashioned administrator to a collaborating partner. The noticeable increased level of service is one of the reasons why the Norwegian fleet has enjoyed a continued growth in the number of registered ships. After 17 years, the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS) recently celebrated reaching a milestone 700 ships again. These positive developments are undoubtedly also a result of the stable and reliable framework in Norway. The Norwegian flag is moving from strong to stronger!

A close collaboration with the governing authorities, and the ability and willingness to understand and communicate the needs of shipowners is central to this success. Maritime Bergen, WISTA Norway and the NMA share these goals and responsibilities; Research and continuous development and innovation in the maritime industry! Equally important is keeping track of and being able to influence the guidelines from the IMO and the European Union.

Working together to make maritime Norway even stronger, bringing us into the future and embracing the need for diversity is what makes us great – and will make us even greater. A large fleet under the Norwegian flag is beneficial for all parts of the industry, and a requirement for fruitful collaboration.

Our event starts in Haugesund where you will meet  Mr. Lars Alvestad, Acting Director General of Shipping and Navigation at the NMA, in conversation with Sverre Meling, General Manager at Maritimt Forum for Haugaland and Sunnhordland. During the broadcast, you will learn about the transition the NMA has been through, the history of the Norwegian International Ships Register (NIS), why shipowners choose the Norwegian flag and what added value the NIS provides them with. You will also meet a young, female cadet whose position has been secured through the grant scheme for the employment of seafarers. In the final part of the session, our hosts from NMA, Maritime Bergen and WISTA will sit down together with academic shipping expert, Professor Stig Tenold, to discuss how the Norwegian model can and should develop and what it takes to be competitive.

Regulatory framework is a “red thread” through the programme, focussing on the secret ingredient which made this change process and the Norwegian model work.

As with all change processes – they never stop. We therefore invite YOU to share your thoughts on which #ACTION you believe is needed to take us even further. We are looking forward to meeting you all again in person, and hope that you will join us for these important conversations at Nor Shipping in January.