Statoil, together with the Industrial Development Corporation of Norway (Siva) and the Norwegian Ministry for Local Government and Regional Development, have established two regional incubator positions in northern Norway. The incubatees will be part of building up an effective oil and gas industry in the far north.
One of the positions will be located in Harstad, the other in Hammerfest.
Åslaug Haga (right), the Norwegian minister for regional government and local development, presented the initiative in Harstad today, 18 June. Pictured here with Jostein Gaasemyr (left), head of Statoil's Harstad office, and Arent M Henriksen, head of the Industrial Development Corporation of Norway (Siva).
The incubatees will work together with local players such as knowledge parks, educational institutions and seed capital/venture funds. The scheme is suited for entrepreneurs, companies and projects in their early stages. Industrial and technical communities will be strengthened and developed to offer attractive services for future development projects in the far north.
The establishment will take place though strengthening and restructuring in the ProBarents company in Hammerfest and the Harstad science park.
"Statoil supports several measures that will stimulate local entrepreneurship and development of service industries for the coming oil and gas activities in the far north," says Tim Dodson, acting executive vice president for Exploration & Production Norway (EPN).
"We believe it's important to contribute with resources and expertise in this area, as well as supporting entrepreneurs by laying the groundwork for industrial development that will provide more jobs.
"New developments in the far north will certainly require technology that can solve challenges relating to business in Arctic areas and environments. The incubatees will be important in the work to develop and strengthen the northern-Norwegian supplier industry in relation to future oil and gas developments, both on the Norwegian continental shelf and towards Russia," he says.
As part of Statoil's 30-year celebrations as a company in Harstad and northern Norway in 2006, the company took the initiative to establish a regional industrial incubator in Norway's three most northerly counties. Siva has collaborated with Statoil in this work.