World-leading business group launches new identity

The cluster, which includes world-leading companies within subsea technology and maintenance, is set to change its name to GCE Ocean Technology.

According to Owe Hagesæther, the cluster’s Chief Executive, this name change reflects a much wider focus for the organization and its member businesses.

Becoming greener

Although previously focused on the oil and gas industry, subsea companies are now also moving into other ocean industries such as fish farming, offshore wind and wave energy.

“We have branched out and people’s jobs have become more secure. We needed a new name to reflect these changes,” says Hagesæther.

The new name will come into effect after 1 February 2019. It will help to shape the organization’s future direction, as it aims to encourage even more crossovers between the ocean sectors.  

Read more: Norway’s subsea industry looks to new frontiers

Hagesæther explains that this is an important goal for the cluster going forwards: “These measures will contribute to opening up new markets and thereby enable growth.”

“Moreover, it will contribute to an improved cash flow, the creation of more jobs, the increase of export income, and to reducing the level of risk in our companies’ customer portfolio.”

“They will also make the companies less dependent on oil and gas as they expand into new markets and become more differentiated,” he explains.
 

The organization will retain the “GCE” part of its name, which stands for “Global Centre of Expertise” – a designation that is given to the highest rank of Norwegian business clusters.

The name is awarded to groups of companies that have a global standing within their sector, and that are working with research institutions to encourage innovation.

Positive feedback

The name change and GCE Ocean Technology’s revised strategic ambitions have been thoroughly discussed and explained along the way.

Professor Torgeir Reve, one of Europe’s leading cluster experts, strongly approves of the cluster’s strategic changes. The name change has also been presented and discussed at GCE Subsea Partnerforum, where it received unanimous support.

“These changes have been spurred on by GCE Subsea succeeding with our present strategy. It has provided strong results and new opportunities we are now taking advantage of,” states Hagesæther.

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