TechThursday #5 – Subsea Technology & Innovation

Subsea – A Strategic Industrial Stronghold in Transition

The Eastern Norway region has long been home to world-leading subsea engineering environments – forming the foundation for what was originally established as Subsea Valley. In 2019, the cluster was renamed Energy Valley to reflect a broader commitment to the energy transition and a stronger emphasis on renewable technologies.

Still, a majority of Energy Valley’s 100+ members remain strongly anchored in subsea – particularly in the oil and gas sector. Over time, many have expanded their focus to support offshore wind, subsea cables and pipelines, carbon storage, and seabed minerals.

This TechThursday explores how subsea technology and innovation continue to evolve – not just as legacy infrastructure, but as a key enabler for the future energy system.

Agenda

08:00–08:05 | Welcome and Introduction
By Energy Valley
 – From Subsea Valley to Energy Valley
 – Subsea expertise as a foundation for innovation, export, and cross-sector growth
 – Broader applications: oil & gas, offshore wind, subsea infrastructure, minerals

08:05–08:45 | Expert Presentations (5–6 minutes each)
Moderator: Energy Valley

Init, Espen Trengereid, COO
Topic: Modular Subsea Control and Power – Scalable Building Blocks for the Seabed
→ Compact subsea drives and autonomous, high-integrity safety systems based on COTS components and standardized architecture4Subsea

Aker Solutions, Egil Birkemoe, VP for Business Development Subsea Power
Topic: Subsea technologies for offshore wind and other renewables
 → Scaling full-field systems with focus on efficiency and flexibility

Kongsberg Maritime, Rubem Prandi, Technical Sales Manager
Topic: K-SEM: Enabling Subsea Digitalization
→ Driving Innovation, Supporting Emerging Technologies, and Unlocking Operational Efficiency

Equinor, Erik Frimanslund, Senior manager (leder Subsea products & technology i Global Operations Technology i EPN)
Topic: Operator Perspective: What Will the Subsea Supplier of the Future Look Like?
 → Field needs, innovation expectations, and the role of collaboration

ABB, Asmund Maeland, Group Senior Vice President
Topic: Subsea Solutions for Floating Offshore Wind
→ Power distribution, protection, and automation for the next generation of offshore renewable systems

08:45–09:00 | Joint Q&A and Wrap-Up
 – Moderator-led Q&A
 – Reflections on key trends and opportunities for subsea in the energy transition

09:00–09:30 | Bonus Session: Extended Q&A and Discussion
 – Optional participation
 – Open floor for audience questions, dialogue and company-specific follow-ups