The Merchant Fleet and Civil-Military Preparedness - CEO Speaks at Maritime Security Seminar

02.10.2024
CEO Harald Fotland recently held a keynote at the 2024 Norwegian Maritime Security seminar. The Norwegian Sea Military organizes the seminar every year, but this year, it seemed even more vital to discuss how merchant shipping can contribute to security matters.

Speaking to politicians and marine military authorities, Harald highlighted the importance of the merchant maritime industry, not only for commercial prosperity but also as a resource in civil-military preparedness. 

About the maritime cluster

  • The Norwegian maritime cluster is unique. We have comprehensive value chains linked to the sea—in the form of competence and technology development, shipyards, equipment suppliers, class and certification, shipping and seafarers, marine and war insurance, brokers and ship financing.
  • This has not come about by itself, it has been built up over time through hard work, innovation and wise political decisions that have created predictable and competitive framework conditions. All this is also a prerequisite for the industry to survive and grow further.
  • The sum of value creation and expertise in this industry is still crucial both for Norwegian prosperity and security.
  • Odfjell is one of many world-leading Norwegian shipping companies, in what is still the world's fifth-largest merchant fleet. Shipowners operate a modern and diversified fleet in all segments of international shipping. We compete—and succeed—in the world's most globalized and competitive industry, while at the same time leading the way both in the green shift and in the digitization of the world's fleet.

 

On security and preparedness

  • The Norwegian maritime industry is also an enormous preparedness resource for national and allied authorities, but this fact does not always receive the attention it deserves.
  • Security challenges, risk management and preparedness have always been central to shipping. We are an industry that deals with this daily—on board the individual ship, as shipping companies and as a community.
  • The safety and preparedness work in the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association has essentially two main functions:
  • To assist the Norwegian fleet by building situational awareness around maritime security threats, communicating with authorities and providing support in the event of incidents and crises.
  • To act as an intermediary between the industry and the authorities in matters concerning national and allied security and preparedness, and the use of the fleet as a civil and/or military preparedness resource.
  • The important additional elements that are with the Norwegian War Insurance for Ships (DNK) and NORMA Cyber constitute an extra layer of security and safety for our ships and seafarers. It is a value that we must preserve and further develop.

There is an expectation that the Norwegian merchant fleet is available and ready. And we are, but the complexity of today's shipping industry means that one must more actively develop predefined partnerships and forms of agreement when using shipping as a contingency resource in peacetime.

  • Today's arrangements and forms of cooperation are a good starting point for further development of shipping preparedness, which is necessary in light of a threat picture that will, in all probability, persist for a long time to come. There is an absolute need for further development and modernization of the maritime emergency response.