Kongsberg boss Geir Håøy is the technology leader of the year



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Kongsberg Group CEO Geir Håøy wins the Technology Technician Award of the year at the 2018 Norwegian Tech Awards.

"It was a very good surprise first and foremost, I think it's a recognition of Kongsberg as a whole, we are a team," said Håøy before the awards ceremony Wednesday, November 28.

Since he became president and CEO in June 2016, he has had to deal with the consequences of falling oil prices and a dramatic drop in orders.

Bring the company safely to the digital age

Geir Håøy has now adjusted the company and transformed what would become a financially demanding year for a strong company.

"This is a very difficult time for the whole industry, the most important thing to keep in mind during the conversion period is not to wait to make difficult decisions and priorities," Håøy said.

"It's not good to see colleagues leave the company or to define projects that you really believe in, but it can not be implemented on the spot, but you can not wait." and to think that a difficult situation is going on without any effort, which is usually not the case.

The jury's choice of laureate is based on the fact that Håøy has propelled society into a digital and autonomous era.

"We see the beginning of a very exciting trip for the industry, but despite all the big words, I think it's important to point out that we are in a very early stage in digitization and autonomy, "said Håøy.

– Autonomy is not about putting people on the ground

He thinks it's important to distinguish what we put in the term of autonomy.

"Many people are afraid of losing their jobs." In the marine industry, the focus is on unmanned vessels, such as Yara Birkeland.It is a very interesting project for us and Yara, but the Autonomy essentially consists of making autonomous transmissions autonomous in order to improve the safety of seafarers and the efficiency of operations – and not to allow people to land ashore, explains Håøy.



The Yara Birkeland electric and autonomous container ship will be delivered by Vard Brevik in February 2020. By 2021, it will gradually become an autonomous sail, monitored from a control room on land. Photo: Yara / Kongsberg / Marin Teknikk

This summer, Kongsberg Gruppen and Håøy have reached an agreement with Rolls-Royce on the resumption of the civil maritime sector. A joint parliament approved the state's participation in the question of the distribution of shares that makes this possible. This acquisition will strengthen the Group's position as a global leader in the maritime sector.

"My role in this field was that after 26 years spent in the marine industry, I had a good starting point to examine areas with which we could cooperate. secret that the Kongsberg and Rolls-Royce groups have been talking to each other for many years, "said Håøy.

billion of acquisition

From 1997 to 2006, he held various positions at Kongsberg Maritime abroad. In all, he met the Rolls-Royce teams who worked on the same projects.

"We always found together and had a good tone." As for the product, we also had a good coincidence, said Håøy about the acquisition earlier this year.

Kongsberg Gruppen is the leader in automation, navigation and control systems, while Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine complements its propulsion, propulsion systems, deck handling equipment and ship design.

Together, companies occupy leadership positions in the areas of digitization, "maritime intelligence" and concepts of autonomy.

Dynamic positioning (DP) is one of the few competing products. Kongsberg has already developed in the 1970s – based on the regulatory technology of NTH (now NTNU) – the first DP systems. Rolls-Royce developed its own DP technology a few years ago.

The details of a possible product merger are currently uncertain, according to Håøy.

l & # 39; momentum

The CEO explains where he finds the most important driving force in the job.

– It's become a lifestyle. It's perhaps an answer from a clique, but the main driver is working with the technologies, pointing out the directions and goals, with a group of incredibly sweet people, says Håøy.

"Succeeding and making a difference together is probably the main reason why you spend a few hours in this job.

The Kongsberg Group is now represented in more than 25 countries.

Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine, which has just been purchased, has approximately 3,600 employees and a turnover of NOK 8.9 billion (2017), while the Kongsberg Group has approximately 7,000 employees and a turnover of business of NOK 14.5 billion (2017). ), of which Kongsberg Maritime generates 7.5 billion NOK.

Last year, Hydro head Svein Richard Brandtzæg was named the technology leader of the year.

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