A high-quality field of entrants for the second Nor-Shipping Ocean Solutions Award led to a heated jury debate and an expansion of the shortlist from the planned four to five competing nominees.

The accolade, open to exhibitors and invited Nor-Shipping participants, aims to showcase breakthrough innovations at, or approaching, commercialisation stage. Daphne Technology won the inaugural prize in 2022, with this year’s winner set to be revealed in front of an audience of key industry decision makers at the Nor-Shipping Ocean Leadership Conference on 6 June.

Setting course for tomorrow

Announced today, 2023’s shortlist consists of: VARD Group’s Ocean Charger Concept; Silverstream Technologies’ air lubrication system; the Oceanbird wind assist technology from the Alfa Laval/Wallenius joint venture Alfawall; WinGD’s variable compression ratio technology for two-stroke marine engines; and Kongsberg Digital’s Vessel Insight and Kognifai Marketplace.

“There was a vast field of entrants this year, covering a broad spectrum of maritime technology and innovation,” comments Sidsel Norvik, Director, Nor-Shipping. “The standard was so high that it proved impossible to identify only four stand-out nominees, leaving five to fight it out – all of whom can be rightfully proud of their achievement so far.

“Each of these solutions demonstrate how the industry is rising to challenges, realising opportunities and setting course for a more sustainable, profitable ocean future. I’m looking forward to seeing the eventual winner crowned and celebrated in front of an A-list crowd of industry executives in June.”

Revolutionary approaches

The entries on the shortlist were selected by an international jury of experts, each of who was tasked to assess nominations on the criteria of: originality of the service, design, concept or equipment item; impact with regard to either ocean sustainability, logistics, or ship operation; addressing current or anticipated challenges for the industry; expected benefit for the industry generally, and to users/customers specifically; and applying best practices or ideas from other industries.

Each candidate impressed the judges with their ingenuity and potential to revolutionize the industry.

Tough competition

VARD’s Ocean Charger project aims to develop an offshore charging solution for battery-powered ships, while Silverstream Technologies’ air lubrication system is already enjoying commercial success reducing friction, and enhancing efficiency, for ship hulls.

AlfaWall’s Oceanbird folding wing sails, which have more in common with airplane wings than traditional sails, can transform the viability of wind power for large deep-sea vessels, while WinGD’s variable compression ratio technology allows for enhanced fuel consumption and emissions, delivering the flexibility needed for optimal use of alternative fuels.

Finally, Kongsberg Digital’s Vessel Insight infrastructure service, which gives access to the Kognifai marketplace, is the only open ship-to-cloud data infrastructure on the market. The solution enables ship owners and operators to connect any data source onboard from any manufacturer, transmitting the data to the cloud for standardization and contextualization.

Global gathering

Nor-Shipping 2023 runs from 6-9 June in Lillestrøm and Oslo. In addition to the main exhibition and the Ocean Leadership Conference, a range of themed conferences include the first ever Nor-Shipping Offshore Wind and Offshore Aquaculture Conferences, the Second Maritime Hydrogen Conference, and the Fourth International Autonomy Summit.

Entrance tickets have now been released, with an early-bird discount available prior to 1 May. Included in the price is free use of public transport in Oslo (Zone 1) and between the Lillestrøm exhibition centre, entrance to all the exhibition days, access to the After Work @Aker Brygge social scene in Oslo, and entrance to all Technical Seminars and Blue Talks.