Offshore energy and vessel owners
Regional shipping companies operate vessels for offshore supply, subsea work, construction and wind-farm services. Examples include Havila Shipping, Olympic, REM Offshore and Norwind Offshore.
Industry, maritime expertise & UK connections
Maritime expertise.
International connections.
Møre og Romsdal is known for its maritime cluster, bringing together shipowners, shipyards and technology companies with close ties to oil and gas, offshore wind, fisheries and aquaculture. Wellboat operations, seafood exports and furniture manufacturing add to the region’s industrial breadth.
Industries and maritime cluster
The region has a strong concentration of offshore vessel owners and an extensive network of shipyards, ship designers, equipment suppliers and specialist services. Their expertise supports projects from vessel design and construction to operations at sea, across both established and emerging ocean industries.
Seafood and wellboats
Fishing fleets, processing and seafood exports sit alongside aquaculture and specialist marine services. Wellboats carry live fish and provide services to fish farms, with regional operators including Sølvtrans in Ålesund and Rostein on Harøy.
Shipbuilding and technology
Shipyards, naval architects and technology suppliers develop specialist vessels and systems for energy, fishing and aquaculture. Marine equipment, propulsion, automation and simulation connect practical experience at sea with engineering and research.
Design for international markets
Furniture is another distinctive regional industry, combining design and manufacturing with international sales. Sykkylven is home to Ekornes and the Stressless brand, with links to the British retail market.
Find maritime partners: Blue Maritime Cluster, run by ÅKP, brings companies, education and research together. Its member directory is a useful starting point. Explore the maritime heritage behind today’s industry.
Companies and UK connections
Explore regional companies and examples of their British customers, projects and operations. The seafood profiles also show the breadth of local production and export expertise; each profile describes its own connection.
Offshore energy and maritime technology
Offshore wind services
Norwind Offshore
Ålesund
Vessel operations at a British wind farm
Norwind Offshore operates specialist vessels supporting offshore energy projects. Dogger Bank A’s official notice dated 9 February 2026 records Norwind Helm providing construction support at the UK wind farm. This is a documented project example, not a live vessel position.
Subsea engineering
Subsea7
Vigra · Giske
Vigra and Scotland in the same project network
Subsea7’s Vigra base fabricates pipelines for offshore installation. Its projects connect this local capability with engineering in Aberdeen and pipeline-bundle fabrication in Scotland, linking the region with specialist expertise across the North Sea.
Saipem merger announcement
Saipem and Subsea7 announced a merger agreement in July 2025. See the original announcement and company updates for transaction information.
Maritime technology
Kongsberg Maritime
Ålesund · Ulsteinvik
Operations in Norway and Scotland
The company has offices in Ålesund and Ulsteinvik and manufacturing in Dunfermline, Scotland. Its wider business supplies equipment for Royal Navy programmes. These are company-level links; individual projects may involve different sites.
Lighting technology
Glamox
Molde · Ålesund
Marine lighting with a British sales network
Glamox supplies lighting for ships, offshore installations and professional buildings. Its marine organisation lists teams in Molde and Ålesund alongside British sales contacts, including Scotland. This connects the region’s lighting expertise with customers in the UK maritime and offshore markets.
Shipbuilding, design and marine systems
Shipbuilding
VARD
Ålesund · Tomrefjord
UK customer and shipbuilding partnership
VARD designs and builds specialist vessels. Its Grampian Kestrel was delivered from Vard Langsten to UK operator North Star, linking regional shipbuilding with the British offshore wind industry.
Ship design and shipbuilding
ULSTEIN
Ulsteinvik
Regional design for UK offshore wind
Ulstein’s SX216 design is used for Acta Marine vessels serving British offshore wind projects. Acta Gemini was designed by Ulstein and built at Tersan in Türkiye for work at RWE’s Sofia wind farm, operating from Grimsby.
Shipbuilding and vessel services
Myklebust Verft
Gursken · Sande
A regional shipyard working for Scottish fishing
Myklebust Verft’s Sunbeam project for Scotland’s Sunbeam Fishing Limited connects shipbuilding in Sunnmøre with the British fishing industry. The trawler project also involves regional equipment suppliers, illustrating how local shipyards and marine technology companies work together for overseas vessel owners.
Propulsion and vessel systems
Brunvoll
Molde · Volda
Marine technology for the Scottish fishing fleet
Brunvoll supplies propulsion, thrusters and vessel-control technology. Its package for Sunbeam Fishing’s new trawler includes the main propulsion system, manoeuvring thrusters and controls. The Scottish customer’s project brings together Brunvoll equipment and shipbuilding at Myklebust Verft in Sunnmøre.
Ship design
Skipsteknisk
Ålesund
Designing a British ocean research ship
Skipsteknisk designed RRS Discovery, the British research vessel delivered in 2013 for the National Oceanography Centre. The ship supports ocean science, including work with specialist instruments and deep-ocean equipment. It is a clear example of regional ship-design expertise contributing to British scientific research.
Seafood and aquaculture
Seafood
Brødrene Sperre
Ellingsøy · Ålesund
Seafood trade with the British market
Brødrene Sperre supplies seafood internationally. A 2019 statement from industry association Fiskebåt documents its connection with British fish-and-chip businesses visiting Ålesund to learn about Norwegian fish.
Aquaculture and seafood processing
Hofseth
Ålesund · Sunnmøre
Seafood from Sunnmøre to the British market
Hofseth brings together fish farming, processing and international distribution. Its head office is in Ålesund, and its Sunnmøre factories produce salmon and trout products for grocery and restaurant customers. Its sales network includes Hofseth UK, with logistics by road, sea and air.
Clipfish and seafood exports
Jangaard Export
Ålesund · Averøy
A regional seafood exporter
With its head office in Ålesund and production facilities including Kleivane and Averøy, Jangaard illustrates the region’s long-established role in salting, drying and exporting fish. Its production network connects raw materials from northern Norway with processing and international markets.
Furniture and logistics
Furniture
Ekornes / Stressless
Ikornnes · Sykkylven
Norwegian furniture for British customers
Ekornes manufactures furniture in Sykkylven and lists a UK sales office. Its Stressless brand has a dedicated British website, connecting local manufacturing with the UK retail market.
Logistics and port services
Tyrholm & Farstad
Ålesund · Flatholmen
Connecting regional industry with international markets
Tyrholm & Farstad brings together sea freight, terminal handling, seafood logistics and ship agency. At Flatholmen, its facilities link cargo handling with chilled and frozen storage. Its services are relevant to British vessel operators and businesses moving seafood, furniture, marine equipment or project cargo through the region.
Ports, seafood and logistics
Ports, terminals, cold stores, freight forwarders and ship agents make Møre og Romsdal a logistics hub for seafood, furniture, marine equipment and project cargo. These services connect local production and visiting vessels with international markets.
At Flatholmen in Ålesund, Tyrholm & Farstad provides terminal handling, seafood logistics, sea and road freight, air freight and customs forwarding.
British fishing vessels
British fishing vessels regularly land catch in Møre og Romsdal, using local receivers, processing, cold storage and onward transport. Scottish statistics identify Norway as a major destination for Scottish landings; Norwegian data can be explored by vessel and receiving location.
Fish and chips: a shared market
Norwegian cod and haddock supply British fish-and-chip businesses. In 2019, finalists in Britain’s national competition visited Ålesund and the factory trawler Granit. Brødrene Sperre highlighted the importance of British customers.
Research, skills and innovation
Campus Ålesund brings industry into contact with education, research and business development. These organisations offer routes into collaboration, specialist facilities and skills.
NTNU in Ålesund
Education and research connected with regional industries. Start with the relevant academic department for research or student collaboration.
NMK
The Norwegian Maritime Competence Center brings companies, education and research together. Its directory includes SINTEF, Møreforsking, OSC, NTNU Ocean Training, Kongsberg Maritime and DNV.
ÅKP
Business development, incubation and collaboration through Blue Maritime, Blue Legasea, Norwegian Catapult Digital and Mafoss.
Image info
Maritime industry and learning · Thematic image, not a particular campus or vessel. Created for this guide using AI; an illustrative interpretation, not documentary photography.
Business contacts
Ålesund business association
Næringsforeningen i Ålesundregionen runs professional networks and events, including Ålesund Handelskammer and Nordvest Eksportnettverk. Its linked pages are in Norwegian.
Trade and business registration
The UK Department for Business and Trade’s Norway team handles trade and investment enquiries. Brønnøysundregistrene explains business registration in Norway.
Security awareness: Espionage, misleading professional approaches and recruitment by foreign intelligence services: PST information and reporting
Company examples illustrate regional capabilities and UK connections. Inclusion is not a recommendation or a guarantee of services. Landing frequency is described qualitatively from local industry knowledge; no county-level tonnage or market share is claimed.