Motivation to join Alliance as a mentor for Blue Growth

Working with the ocean industries in Norway, with a background as an entrepreneur and editor of an entrepreneurship magazine, and being a true Baltic Sea Region champion, Tom is enthusiastic and excited to be able to help start ups and scale ups in this industry find their way up and forward, in any way he can. Mister Ocean is here to help you get your act together, and to prosper and grow.

Tom O. Kleppestø (MsC) has been a central figure in the Norwegian maritime industry since 2004. He is the general manager of altogether three maritime, offshore and ocean industry associations, joined in the newly formed Maritime Oslofjord Alliance (2018): Shipping & Offshore Network (est. 1981), Oslo Shipowners’ Association (est. 1905) and Ocean Industry Forum Oslofjord (est. 2012). This alliance represents some 150 companies, including some 55 shipowners and some 20+ companies that are not even based in the Oslofjord region at all, but in the rest of Norway, the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), and, indeed, the world.

Shipping & Offshore Network was the Norwegian partner in the Go LNG project (2016-2019). Oslo Shipowners’ Association is the Oslo Chapter of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, and Ocean Industry Forum Oslofjord is the Oslo chapter of Maritime Forum, which comprises 8 regions all over Norway. So it is truly a nationwide as well as a global network that they offer you.

Market active/interested

Cosmetics, food, feed incl. nutraceuticals, aquaculture, energy, ocean farming, seafood, ocean mining, minerals.

Expertise in biological resources

N/A.

Organization information

Name of organization: Shipping & Offshore Network.
Organization type: Industry Association with a Nordic/Baltic Sea Region membership basis.
Size: 1 person only, but 3 active boards and hired project personnel on a need-to basis.
Department: N/A

Main Focus areas:
As part of the Maritime Oslofjord Alliance, focus includes ocean industry start-ups and scale-ups, ocean industry innovation, and they have the shipowners and all the rest of the maritime cluster at hand through the three associations in the Alliance. Shipping & Offshore Network is mainly about geopolitics, market updates and forecasts, and competence development. Ocean Industry Forum Oslofjord is through Maritime Forum concerned with politics as in lobbying, and the best possible conditions for shipping and maritime industry. We are also determined to be driving ocean industry innovation. Oslo Shipowners’ Association is a high-level network of shipowners and CEOs of associated companies (legal, bank, finance, insurance etc.).

Service offer

Business development, communication and lobbying.