Marine Technology

In Norway, all types of marine activities are represented. This includes central activities in oil companies, shipping companies, the Navy, brokers, classification companies (Veritas), authorities, engineering companies, shipyards, building workshops, equipment vendors, computer firms, fishing and farming. It is likely to assume that no other country has an equally complete marine industry where the parties cooperate so well and the advanced engineers move from one type of activities to another. This is one of the reasons why the Norwegian marine industry is internationally competitive, and it forms the basis of the fact that Norway also runs major marine activities abroad.

Career opportunities

Marine activities are diverse, but they have some common features. That means that we may have a general and common basis in our degree programme, which again is one of the reasons why advanced engineers often change fields during their occupational career within the marine industry. ICT-related tasks in this industry typically involve advanced numerical calculations or control and processing of information. This also includes geometric models, animations and simulations. The amount of information in building projects is so large that only advanced ICT methods are good enough.

Some students choose to specialize within the construction of ships and platforms. They frequently get jobs in engineering companies, the classification company Det Norske Veritas, consulting firms or oil companies. Others choose safety or operation of ships and platforms. They often start their careers in shipping companies, oil companies, maintenance companies or logistics companies. Some choose fishing and farming where there is a major unexploited potential for ICT, while others specialize within modelling, logistics or information management, including internet shopping. They find jobs at shipyards, in building projects or as consultants, some times in oil companies. However, the general background in the marine education is enough for students with ICT background being attractive to the entire industry – an industry where ICT is steadily growing in importance.

Some enterprises offer two-year long rotation jobs with fixed terms in different countries. With an ICT background you also have the opportunity for a career within research and education. Marin Teknisk Senter in Trondheim, which holds NTNU’s marine department, is the Western world’s largest centre for research and development within the marine industry.