Page 12: of Marine Technology Magazine (May 2023)

CONFERENCE UTC ‘23

UTC ‘23 SET FOR NORWAY

Photo courtesy UTC

Global subsea energy leaders will convene in Bergen, Norway at the Underwater Tech- nology Conference (UTC) in mid-June to meet, greet and exchange ideas on the crucial underwater technology topics. Stig Instanes, TechnipFMC and Rune Vesterkjær, Aker

Solutions, helped to shape a vibrant and diverse program.

By Greg Trauthwein he scenic west coast of Norway is the place for the important than ever, particularly to connect the younger people

Underwater Technology Conference (UTC) 2023, in the industry with the senior members of the industry, so each scheduled for June 13-15, 2023, Grieghallen in Ber- can gain from the others insight, experience and expertise.

Tgen, Norway.

UTC 2023 is estimated to attract 500 to 800 attendees and The UTC Conference Program nearly 40 technical papers. But what the UTC lacks in size it While the UTC maintains its strong commitment to traditional compensates for in stature, as the event regularly attracts a broad oil and gas, it too sees the writing on the wall regarding energy array of leading executives from global companies working in transition, and the conference program is a repository of knowl- the offshore energy and subsea space, including a dozen keynote edge and insight on how companies in the space can leverage speakers from key operators like Petrobras, Equinor and Shell, their own experience to broaden – not replace – their work in as well as the main suppliers in the subsea space. discovering a and recovering fossil fuels. “We still have a lot to “Many of us have been around for a lot of conferences over the do when it comes to traditional oil and gas subsea developments, years, and I would say that UTC is one of the few conferences and that will be covered,” said Instanes. But increasingly, too, where you see that the operators are taking a big part of the con- there is a push to leverage traditional offshore oil and gas subsea ference, both as presenters but also as regular delegates,” said technologies for ‘new’ energy and systems, from ? oating wind

Stig Instanes, BD & Sales Manager, TechnipFMC, who serves to hydrogen to carbon capture and storage. “More and more we as the Board Chairman of the Underwater Technology Founda- see that carbon capture and storage is relevant for subsea. I think tion. “There is a very high probability that you’ll meet your end all of us in the supply chain are ramping up for that, and there are client, the operator, at UTC.” quite a few technical presentations on that theme” together with “Networking is the main thing,” said Rune Vesterkjær, VP – the other emerging technologies.

Subsea Energy Transition & Low Carbon Solutions, Aker Solu- “This conference is dedicated to underwater technology within tions, who serves as UTC’s Program Committee Chair, agrees. the energy space, and right now there is an energy crunch,” said

UTC allows those who have developed the technology to meet Instanes. “This year’s topic, securing global energy, is highly rel- and collaborate with colleagues and clients; “this is the magic evant for all of us.” happening, where you ? nd even better solutions and you discuss With energy security and the environment competing as the other areas of application.” prime topics, Instanes said “we need to harvest energy in the

As the world emerges from the effects of the Covid shutdown, ocean space if we are going to succeed with this energy trans-

Vesterkjær argues that the social aspects of business are more formation. We are now looking into how traditional oil and gas 12 May/June 2023

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