Norwegian royalty look to ocean future at Nor-Shipping 2019

King Harald of Norway and his son Crown Prince Haakon will demonstrate their support for industries that contribute to a healthy, productive ocean at Nor-Shipping 2019. The King will appear in person at Nor-Shipping’s Opening Ceremony at Oslo City Hall on 3 June, while his son and heir to the throne will be the guest of honour at the Ocean Leadership Conference on 4 June. Following the event the Crown Prince will take time to tour the exhibition, meeting key companies from around the world and discussing opportunities and challenges.

Sustainable commitment

Nor-Shipping has refined its proposition this year to emerge as ‘Your Arena for Ocean Solutions’, inviting ocean industry actors, alongside companies from the wider business community, to participate in a bid to build collaboration and enable sustainable commercial growth for its core maritime audience. It’s a move that coincides with industry needs – as demonstrated by the fact the exhibition has sold out – while dovetailing with a domestic drive to enhance shipping’s green credentials.

“Norway is showing real commitment to position itself at the head of a movement to enable greener shipping standards and build sustainable development within the ocean space,” notes Nor-Shipping Director Per Martin Tanggaard, adding: “and that is very much in evidence at Nor-Shipping 2019.”

High-level support

“The Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, who last year initiated a High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, will chair the Engineering Green Shipping roundtable in Oslo on 5 June, inviting business leaders to join her to help accelerate the transition to low and zero emission maritime operations. Two days before that the Norwegian Government and UNGC host The High Level Meeting on Ocean in the city. This will gather diverse stakeholders with the intention of building on the foundation of the UNGC Action platform for Sustainable Ocean Business, launched in 2018.

“Combined with the sustainable focus that will define this year’s exhibition and programme of activity, we can see a real momentum in the industry for responsible, environmentally aware business operations. I’m delighted that the Norwegian Royal Family are endorsing this approach with their strong presence and support at Nor-Shipping 2019.”

Powerful insights

His Majesty King Harald will attend a ceremony that will mix presentations, with entertainment and award announcements, with the winners of the coveted Young Entrepreneur and Next Generation Ship Awards announced at the event. At the Ocean Leadership Conference Crown Prince Haakon will hear insights from global thought leaders including Admiral Michael Rogers, the former director of the National Security Agency (NSA), Nobel Laureate (Economics) prize winner Paul M. Romer, and IMO Secretary General Kitack Lim, amongst others.

“The level of participants in all our events this year – from the Opening Ceremony, through to the Blue Talks in the Blue Economy Hall, and our wide selection of seminars and forums – is outstanding,” Tanggaard comments.

“I believe the industry is genuinely excited about the huge, untapped potential of the ocean space and our visiting experts will deliver powerful insights that, hopefully, will help our delegates unlock real value. Exciting times lie ahead, at Nor-Shipping and beyond.”

Nor-Shipping 2019 takes place from 04 to 07 June 2019 across a series of venues in Oslo and Lillestrøm, Norway. In total over 30,000 key decision makers are expected to attend the international event week, with around 1000 exhibiting companies showcasing the very latest products, services and innovations.

Nor-Shipping 2019
Nor-Shipping 2019 takes place in Oslo and Lillestrøm, Norway, from 04 to 07 June 2019.