Tore Halvorsen, founder and CEO of Smart Ocean (left), shakes hands with the new Chairman, Jon Erik Reinhardsen (right).
Photo: Smart Ocean.
Smart Ocean, a technology company founded in Norway to solve ocean challenges, announced this week the appointment of Jon Erik Reinhardsen as its new Chairman. The experienced industry leader, who brings extensive industrial expertise with him, joins at an exciting time for the company.
In addition to his proven competence - as mentioned, he is also Chairman of the Norwegian state-owned multinational energy company Equinor - Reinhardsen is well acquainted with Smart Ocean technology as he serves as a part-time senior advisor at BearingPoint Capital, which provides strategic and financial advisory services to ocean technology companies.
Commenting on the appointment, Tore Halvorsen, founder and CEO of Smart Ocean, said Reinhardsen's background and experience will be vital for the company's continued development and growth. "Jon Erik Reinhardsen has solid experience in the industry, and his expertise will be crucial as we continue to grow. We have been eager to strengthen our organization, and we are truly achieving that with Reinhardsen," Halvorsen said.
Currently, Smart Ocean is expanding, internationalizing and focusing on the collection and commercialization of critical ocean data of significant value to society and commercial markets.
As said, this is an exciting time for Smart Ocean, as it has been preparing for increased demand following the implementation of new regulations for marking fishing equipment. Starting 01 January 2025, Norway banned the use of AIS tracking technology for this purpose. AIS, an anti-collision system, can interfere with maritime traffic when used on fishing equipment, and as a result, many fishermen now need to replace the AIS buoys they have used for years.
Smart Ocean seeks to solve these tracking challenges by providing a legal and effective alternative to AIS buoys. This new technology offers a compliant and efficient solution to fishery tracking needs. The company's first product, the Smart Ocean Buoy, provides value to fishing companies by increasing productivity, reducing loss of fishing equipment, and thereby mitigating ghost fishing, i.e. abandoned fishing gear.
Headquartered in Norway and with operations also in the UK and Canada, the Norwegian tech company is also developing an ocean data platform through its proprietary software solution and intelligent buoys with real-time communication for marine industries. This includes coastal and ocean buoys for fisheries, sensor buoys for aquaculture, and buoys for ocean monitoring.
In this context of growth, the new Chairman expressed his satisfaction at joining the Board of Directors. "I am very pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the development of Smart Ocean going forward. This is an exciting time for the company, and I look forward to being part of the growth of an impressive company in an industry with great potential," Jon Erik Reinhardsen stated.
