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INTERVIEW MINISTER ANDREW PARSONS, INDUSTRY, ENERGY & TECHNOLOGY

Minister Andrew Parsons, Industry, Energy &

Technology, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada, discusses the innovative technology cluster that has grown within and outside of his province, with insights on the technology and the importance of oil and gas.

By Greg Trauthwein ndrew Parsons is a member of the House of Assembly for a district called Burgeo-La

Poile, but he’s also the Minister of Industry,

Energy and Technology in the Government of Premier Dr. Andrew Furey.

A “When the Premier took over government in August of 2020, he combined the previous departments of natural resources with the economic development responsibilities of other departments, combining it all into one shop, but really also putting a focus on technology, putting that in the departmental name,” said Parsons.

Today his department handles all technology, everything from mining, electricity, oil and gas, offshore, renewables, marine technology, aiming to build a base for economic

Courtesy the of?ce of Minister Andrew Parsons development opportunities and investment attraction.

With a population just north of half a million, New- “We are home to the Hibernia foundland & Labrador is a small province, but its natural gravity-based structure, which is the resources and cumulative centuries experience living and working by and on the ocean has created a unique and world's frst ofshore oil structure dynamic cluster of excellence in maritime, subsea and off- specifcally designed to deal with harsh shore energy.

“When you look back historically, the ?shery was the environments, including icebergs. We backbone,” said Parsons. “But that has grown over time, and now we are building on this blue economy, and the are known as the east coast energy expertise has shifted.” capital, and we cannot overstate the

Speci?cally, the discovery of oil and gas ?elds offshore helped to not only bolster the ?nances of the province, but importance of oil to our province.” the cumulative experience of discovering and recovering oil and gas in close proximity to iceberg alley has helped – Honourable Andrew Parsons, this small population create, re?ne and export a long list of technologies aimed at working ef?ciently, effectively and

Industry, Energy & Technology, safely in some of the ocean’s harshest conditions.

Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada “We are home to the Hibernia gravity-based structure, september/october 2024 OFFSHORE ENGINEER 25