Breakfast Meeting: OTC 2026 and Developments in the U.S. Energy Market

Energy Valley is hosting a breakfast meeting on Thursday, February 12, focusing on OTC 2026 and recent developments in the U.S. energy market.

The meeting will feature Kathrine Langjord from Innovation Norway’s Houston office, who will provide an up-to-date overview of OTC 2026 and share insights into trends, opportunities, and developments in the U.S. energy sector.

The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston is one of the world’s most important meeting places for energy and technology, offering unique opportunities for market insight, networking, and international collaboration across the offshore energy value chain.

Key topics

The session will highlight:

• What to expect from OTC 2026
• Opportunities in the U.S. energy market
• Innovation Norway’s perspectives and experiences from Houston

Time and location

Date: Thursday, February 12
Time: 08:30–10:00
Location: Fornebu

Program

• 08:30–09:00 Coffee and light breakfast
• 09:00–09:05 Welcome by Vibeke Østlyngen and Preben Strøm
• 09:05–09:45 Presentation by Kathrine Langjord (including Q&A)
• 09:45–10:00 Networking and wrap-up

The meeting is particularly relevant for companies considering participation at OTC, organizations already active in the U.S. market, and stakeholders seeking a deeper understanding of market developments and opportunities within offshore energy.

Hvordan kan vi styrke robustheten i et helhetlig energisystem når trusselbildet blir stadig mer komplekst – på tvers av teknologi, aktører og risiko? 

08:30 | Registrering og kaffe 

Mingling og enkel servering. 

09:00 | Velkommen 

v/ DNV og Energy Valley 

09:10 | Samfunnsperspektiv og beredskap 

Trusler og sårbarheter – hva er utfordringen vår, og hvilke krav stilles? 

Tema: 

• Hvilke sårbarheter er mest kritiske i et helhetlig energisystem? 
• Hvordan håndteres hybride trusler (fysiske og digitale)? 
• Hvordan kan myndigheter, selskaper og leverandører samordne seg bedre 

Innledere: 

• Chris Harman – Director for chemical, poduct and electrical safety, The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection, DSB.
• Kristian S. Teigen – Sjefingeniør Industriell IKT sikkerhet, Havtil.
• Stine Aurora Mikkelsplass – Research scientist and engineer (siv.ing) | Risk & Security | Institute for Energy Technology, IFE.

09:50 | Perspektiver fra energibransjen 

Hvordan håndterer energiselskapene trusler og sårbarheter i praksis? 

Tema: 

• Leveransesikkerhet og beredskap 
• Risikostyring på tvers av verdikjeden 
• Usikkerhetshåndtering – hvordan reagere i det ukjente? 

Innledere: 

• Aina Nereng – Security Director, Aker ASA 
• Christopher Wiig – Vise President, Energy Transition, ABB
• Jan Aarvold – VP Safety & Security, Equinor.

10:30 | Pause 

10:45 | Robusthet og sikkerhet i fremtidens kraftnett, DNV  

• Styrking av kraftnettets robusthet 
  Mohammad Shah – Head of Department PSP-TDT: Vurdering av robusthet for transmisjonslinjer og bruk av ERS som løsning for å øke motstandsdyktighet. 

• Cybersikkerhet i kraftnettet 
  Alexander Fjeldly – Program Director Energy Systems: Sikring av cybersikkerheten til komponenter i strømnettet. 

11:15 | Paneldebatt med representanter fra myndigheter og industrien.

12:00 | Oppsummering og veien videre 

Hvordan kan samarbeid og koordinering styrkes i energisystemet? 
v/ Energy Valley og DNV 

12:00-13:00 | Lunsj og nettverking 

Half-day Workshop | 22 January 2026

Organised by Energy Valley in collaboration with Innovayt

Target group:
Companies considering or preparing projects for the EU Innovation Fund within energy, hydrogen, industrial decarbonisation, CCS/CCU, clean tech and large-scale innovation projects.

Programme

09:00 – 09:15 | Arrival & Coffee

09:15 – 09:30 | Welcome & Objectives for the Day

Knut Linnerud, EU Advisor, Energy Valley

• Key takeaways from the 10 December webinar
• Objectives of the workshop:
  • Move from understanding to project positioning
  • Clarify evaluation logic and success factors
  • Test project maturity against Innovation Fund criteria
• How the workshop is structured and how participants should engage

09:30 – 10:15 | Innovation Fund Deep Dive: How Projects Are Evaluated

Innovayt by Daniel Gomes

Focus: evaluator logic and decision-making

• The Innovation Fund application process
• Key criteria explained:
  • GHG emission avoidance
  • Degree of innovation
  • Project maturity
  • Cost efficiency and Repplicability
• Typical reasons projects fail – beyond the obvious
• How early design choices impact evaluation outcomes

Q&A

10:15 – 10:30 | Break

10:30 – 11:15 | Financial maturity & avoidance – What Evaluators Look For

Erlend P. Aamot, Managing Partner, REspire AS
 Daniel Gomes, Innovayt
 (Innovation Fund Financial Expert & Evaluator perspectives)

• Financial robustness vs. Innovation Fund risk appetite
• CAPEX, OPEX and revenue assumptions – common red flags
• GHG methodology:
  • Early-phase challenges
  • Typical methodological pitfalls
  • How to document credibility without over-engineering
• Practical advice for Norwegian applicants

Short discussion / Q&A

11:15 – 12:30 | Project Idea Clinic – Interactive Group Work

Facilitated by Innovayt & Energy Valley

Participants are divided into small groups (3–5 companies per group).

11:15 – 11:45 | Group discussions

• Short, informal presentation of project ideas around the table
• Each group selects one concrete project idea
• Structured assessment along key Innovation Fund dimensions:
  • Project concept & degree of innovation
  • GHG avoidance potential
  • Project maturity: financial, operational and technical

11:45 – 11:55 | Coffee Break

11:55 – 12:30 | Plenary presentations & feedback

• Each group presents its selected project idea
• Feedback from Innovayt, REspire and the audience
  
  

Expected output per group:

• Clear feedback on project positioning
• Identified improvement areas
• Indicative “readiness level” for Innovation Fund calls

12:30 – 12:45 | Next Steps & Support Options

Innovayt

• Indicative timeline:
  • Relevant timings for upcoming calls (e.g. April 2026)
• Models of assistance and support from Innovayt
• Innovayt’s role as facilitator and connector
• Next planned activities in the EU Innovation Fund track
  
  

12:45 – 13:00 | Plenary Wrap-up: Lessons & Patterns

Moderated by Knut Linnerud

• Key observations across groups
• Typical strengths and weaknesses in participant projects
• What differentiates interesting vs. competitive Innovation Fund projects
• Open Q&A
  
  

Optional

13:00 – 13:30 | Informal Networking & 1:1 Discussions