Norway's Government Invests $700 Million in Ocean Research Labs

Long before oil was found in the North Sea in 1969, Norway has lived off the ocean and its resources. Now, the Norwegian government has said it is willing to allocate up to NOK 6 billion for the construction of new ocean research laboratories in Trondheim, Ålesund and on Hitra/Frøya. Torbjørn Røe Isaksen, the Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry, came to Trondheim on 7 December to announce the decision.

“The maritime industry is responsible for more than 200 000 jobs across the country and these jobs are an important aspect of ensuring that we have a sustainable society in the future,” Isaksen said in a press release. “If Norway is going to continue to be a world leader in the maritime sector, it’s important that we have laboratories that ensure that we can continue to expand and develop our expertise.”

New indoor tanks and outdoor laboratories

The plan goes by the name Ocean Space Laboratories and includes adding two new test basins at the Tyholt Marine Technology Centre, along with three fjord laboratories: one in the fjord just outside Trondheim city center, one in the Hitra/Frøya and one in Ålesund.

The fjord laboratory in Trondheim will be used for testing autonomous vessels and underwater robots. The laboratory in Hitra/Frøya will focus on food, fish farming, aquaculture and the environment. Finally, the laboratory in Ålesund will take advantage of the proximity to the shipping industry to test maritime vessels and transport at sea.

NTNU will use the different laboratories for educating students as well as for research, while SINTEF will conduct research in the labs. The laboratories will also be accessible to Norwegian universities and research communities, as well as companies that need to test products or equipment.

“We will create a national infrastructure for marine research,” Olav Bolland, Dean of NTNU’s Faculty of Engineering told Adressavisen, the regional newspaper.

The decision by the government means that the project now enters the “OFP” phase, during which preliminary work to determine the details of the project will be undertaken. If all goes according to plan, the earliest the laboratories will be completed is in 2025.

This article appears courtesy of Gemini Research News.