During One Ocean Week, Vestland County Council and the North Sea Commission are bringing together political leaders, the defense sector, port authorities, and industry for a joint discussion on responsibility, leadership, and practical collaboration.
Source: Vestland County Council
– When something happens at sea, it’s quickly felt on land. That’s why we need to strengthen cooperation across regions and among defense actors, politicians, the business community, and other civilian and public actors—both in our immediate area in the North Sea and in collaboration with partners further east in Europe. This event during One Ocean Week is intended to bring these actors together to take a step further on the path from ambition to concrete cooperation in practice, says Helge Stormoen, Vestland’s representative on the North Sea Commission (NSC).
In an era marked by geopolitical unrest, heightened tensions, and increasingly complex threats, security and preparedness have become part of everyday life—not just something we talk about during crises. The question is how we move from shared concerns and political ambitions to concrete action that actually strengthens security for citizens, businesses, and public institutions.
Program
The event begins with a panel discussion from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m., which will set the tone for the day. Among other things, we will discuss:
- How can we strengthen cooperation across sectors and levels of government without slowing down implementation?
- What does it take for political leaders to make decisions at a time when the line between normal circumstances and a crisis is less clear?
- How can cooperation between public authorities, critical infrastructure, the defense sector, ports, and suppliers be translated into action in everyday life?
Panelists:
- Stian Davies, Deputy Mayor of Vestland County
- Elisabeth Babic, President, North Sea Commission (NSC)
- Talvikki Jori, President, Baltic Sea Commission (BSC)
- Espen Rasmussen, Commander, Deputy Commander/Chief of Staff, Navy
- Christian Hafstad, Maritime Manager, Port of Bergen
- Owe Hagesæther, CEO, GCE Ocean Technology
- Solfrid Sætre Hjøllo, Research Professor, Institute of Marine Research
Part 2:
Parallel sessions from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – from dialogue to practical follow-up.
Building on the insights from the panel discussion, we will now move on to two parallel sessions:
Political session:
The session will explore the EU’s new Maritime Industrial Strategy and Port Strategy. These strategies aim to strengthen European competitiveness and resilience through a stronger maritime industry, improved innovation, and more secure supply chains. The discussion will examine how maritime industries contribute to critical infrastructure and energy systems, and how regional ambitions in the North Sea and Baltic Sea regions can be more closely aligned with EU policies. The goal is to identify concrete opportunities for better cooperation and implementation across levels and regions. There will be, among other things, digital presentations from the European Commission and a representative of the European Parliament.
Project Development:
This session focuses on identifying and developing new project opportunities for regional and European cooperation on preparedness and resilience. We will explore how we can translate shared challenges into concrete projects within areas such as climate adaptation, public safety, critical infrastructure, energy ports, supply chain resilience, digital resilience, coastal development, and civil preparedness. The goal is to bring together stakeholders across sectors and levels to identify practical collaborative projects that can be further developed within European frameworks and programs.
