Abstract
Marine technology has a long tradition in Norway. Already during the
Viking age, Norwegians traveled wide distances across the seas. In modern times
Norwegians continued to explore the ocean, among them Fridtjof Nansen, Roald
Amundsen and Otto Sverdrup. The start of modern ocean exploration demanded
new ship designs, leading to a large knowledge gain in ship technology in the late
19th century. Beginning from there, an increasing importance of the development
of new marine technologies required new test facilities. A ship model tank was
inaugurated in 1939 at the University of Trondheim. Even though the tank was
used for food storage during the war years, it became a huge success afterwards.
The focus on marine engineering intensified - the ship model tank was extended
and additional laboratories were built. In the 1970s the oil industry started to
grow in Norway, giving marine engineering even more importance. Institutes and
companies formed in close collaboration with or directly from the university,
making the research environment in Trondheim very closely connected. Marine
technology has a wide range of applications and it therefore has to involve
knowledge from many different research disciplines. In Trondheim, the close
connection between the University, research institutes and the industry allows and
facilitates collaborations across research disciplines and institutions. In an effort to
use the research resources in Trondheim in the best possible way, ten partners,
including research institutes, industry and the University of Trondheim, planned a
new Ocean Space Centre to support the future development of marine technology.
The plan for this centre envisions the focus to be on responsible and sustainable
use of marine resources and effective transport to meet the global challenges in
the areas food, energy and climate.