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

Shining a little light in the dark this time of year, we are looking forward to hosting Energy Valley’s much anticipated annual Christmas Breakfast.

The theme this year centres around Concern and Realism, but also… Hope.
Like Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” we, too, are visited by the ghosts of our past, present, and future.
 
The past reminds us of the fossil fuels that built our world…
The present shows us the urgent challenges of climate and energy…
And the future reveals what is possible if we choose differently.
 
Dickens’ story is one of transformation: of turning concern into compassion, and fear into hope. This Christmas, focusing on the energy transition is our chance to write a brighter chapter: to power our homes with clean energy, to warm our communities with sustainable choices, and to give future generations the gift of renewal. Just as Scrooge awoke to a new morning, we too can awaken to a future fuelled by hope, responsibility, and joy.
 
With this in mind, we’re looking forward to welcoming invited guests to our 2025 Christmas breakfast! 
 
Programme highlights
Among others, we’ll be joined by:
Håkon Taule, Thema Consulting
Espen Bostadløkken, Siemens Energy Norway and Siemens Gamesa Norway
Synnøve Wisløff Samuelsen​, HTS Dynamics
Aurora Baardsen, TechnipFMC/FEL 

Musical performance by Arne Kollandsrud on trumpet.
 
 
The annual Christmas breakfast is by invitation only, primarily for current members of Energy Valley. If you are not yet a member but are interested in joining, please reach out.

The subsea industry is one of Norway’s greatest strengths – and one of the most important areas in which we contribute to the global energy transition.

Norwegian companies have been world leaders in underwater technology and solutions for several decades. Now the industry faces a new chapter: How can this expertise be used to deliver more efficient oil and gas production while also playing a key role in developing low-emission solutions? 

Digitalization, standardization, and new forms of collaboration create opportunities for more efficient projects and lower costs. At the same time, subsea technology opens the door to new markets – such as carbon capture and storage (CCS/CCUS) and integrated solutions with offshore wind and other energy sources. 

With this seminar, Energy Valley is focusing on: 

• Success stories showing how subsea contributes to lower emissions and more efficient resource utilization. 

• The future outlook: Where will the next subsea success stories come from, and how can Norwegian industry maintain and strengthen its international competitiveness? 

• Cross-industry dialogue: Operators, suppliers, technology companies, and research institutions come together to share experiences and look ahead. 

We inspire, challenge, and invite collaboration on the next generation of subsea solutions. 

Agenda

08:30 – 09:00: Registration, Networking and Breakfast 

09:00 – 09:10: Welcome by Energy Valley 

09:10 – 09:55: Opening Keynote Presentations – Industry Success Stories 
 

• Equinor: Subsea projects driving lower emissions and increased efficiency by Glenn Roar Halvorsen, Project Manager Subsea All Electric and HPHT 
• Aker BP: Efficient field development with subsea by Henning Gruehagen, Subsea Alliance Manager, Aker BP 
• 4Subsea: Data-driven solutions for monitoring and optimized operations by Peter Jenkins, CEO 4Subsea
• OneSubsea: Driving the new subsea era by Rune Vesterkjær, Processing Product Manager, OneSubsea 

09:45: Perspective from DNV – Subsea in a 2050 perspective
Petter Åke Mathisen, Portfolio Manager / DNV

Based on findings from Energy Transition Outlook Norway 2024, DNV provides an overview of how Norwegian subsea competence contributes to the energy transition, emission reductions, and value creation toward 2050.

10:00 Panel Discussion – Where Will the Next Subsea Adventures Take Us? 
Panel participants: Equinor, Aker BP, OneSubsea, DNV, 4Subsea.
Moderator: Energy Valley 

Topics: 

• New technological drivers (digitalization, automation, standardization) 
• Subsea as part of the energy transition (CCS/CCUS, offshore wind) 
• Competitiveness and collaboration in a global market 
• Where will the next subsea adventures come from? 

10:55: Summary and Next Steps by Energy Valley 

• Highlights key points and invites further dialogue within the cluster 

In case of no-show without prior notice, a fee of NOK 350 will be charged

This event is organized by Kjeller Innovasjon/ H2 Cluster – The Norwegian Hydrogen Cluster

Hydrogen in Action

The hydrogen industry is shifting gears: projects are being built, sites are in operation, and offtakers are setting clear demands.

At this year’s H2 Value Chain Conference, organized by Norwegian Hydrogen Cluster, the spotlight is on project execution and operational experience.

Join leading project developers, offtakers, innovators and stakeholders from both Norway and abroad, to learn from projects already in operation and under construction — and discover what it takes to secure demand and scale markets.

With global industry makers, experts, exhibitors, and attendees, this is the meeting place for companies and decision-makers shaping the next phase of hydrogen deployment across Norway and Europe.

Om arrangementet

Hvordan bør Norge utvikle seg som energinasjon? På dette første Energi2050-forumet legger vi frem en ny analyse og diskuterer områder hvor vi trenger mer forskning for å sikre trygg og stabil energiforsyning – både i Norge og Europa.

Krigen i Ukraina har tydelig vist hvor viktig det er med sikker og stabil tilgang til energi. Under krigen har Russland flere ganger prøvd å ødelegge det ukrainske strømnettet. Krigen har også ført til stopp i leveranser av russisk gass til Europa, noe som har ført til energikrise i mange europeiske land.

Hva bør vi gjøre for å sikre folk i Norge trygg energiforsyning, samtidig som vi også leverer stabil energi til våre europeiske samarbeidspartnere?

For å forstå disse utfordringene bedre har vi invitert ledere av norske energiselskaper og forskningsmiljøer til en åpen diskusjon.

Program

Sesjon 1:

Kl. 10.00 – Kl. 11.30 «Energinasjonen Norge og behov for ny kunnskap i en urolig verden»

• Velkommen ved moderator Gunnar H.Lille
• Åpning ved Energi2050-styreleder Arne Gürtner
• Innledning ved Energiministeren
• Keynote om geopolitikk, energi som maktmiddel, trusler og sårbarhet og 
  Forskningens rolle. Remi Eriksen, DNV
• Innledninger til paneldebatt:
  • Irene Rummelhoff, Equinor
  • Frode Leversund, Gassco
  • Henrik Sætness, Statkraft
  • Elisabeth Vike Vardheim, Statnett
• Paneldebatt med innledere og Energiministeren
• Spørsmål fra salen

11.30–12.30 Lunsj

Sesjon 2:

Kl. 12:30 – Kl. 14:00 «Energi2050s omverdensanalyse»

• Innledning fra Energi2050. Lene Mostue
• Hovedtrekk fra Omverdensanalysen med spesielt søkelys på 
  energiforsyningssikkerhet og tilhørende FOUI-utfordringer. Håkon Taule, Thema
• Kommentar fra Sissel Jore, UiS
• Innledninger til paneldebatt fra FOUI-aktører:
  • Camilla Stoltenberg, NORCE
  • Nils Morten Huseby, IFE
  • Nils Klippenberg. Siemens
• Paneldebatt basert på spørsmål og kommentarer fra salen
• Oppsummering og veien videre, Arne Gürtner