Sea The Future 2026

MARITIME CAREER CONFERENCE

Sea The Future – Maritime Career Conference connects students with leading maritime companies through a unique learning journey.

Students from NTNU Marine Technology in Trondheim begin the program onboard Havila Kystruten, travelling south to Molde before continuing to Sunnmøre. Students from NTNU Ålesund join the program in Ålesund, taking part in company visits, before all participants continue to Fosnavåg for a social gathering, networking and the conference, focused on career opportunities and innovation.

The programme further down this page will be updated continuously leading up to the event, you can also download the programme for the conference here.

A look back at Sea the Future – Maritime Career Conference 2025, where NTNU students explored career opportunities in Sunnmøre’s world‑leading maritime cluster.

"The maritime industry urgently needs expertise and resources for the future. This initiative is one of the key steps we're taking to attract the essential talent to our region."
Frank-Levi Kvalsund, CHRO at HAV Group.

OUR SPEAKERS AT THE EVENT

Discover the voices shaping the future of the maritime industry. At Sea The Future, leading companies present their latest innovations, top executives share inspiring career stories, and industry experts engage in dynamic panel discussions.
Below, you’ll find a selection of the speakers you can look forward to seeing on stage.

FRANK-LEVI KVALSUND CHRO, HAV Group ASA

Caroline Hjellegjerde-fotoKristinStoylen

Caroline Hjellegjerde VP HR & Administration , Olympic Subsea

Åge Remøy, REM Offshore

Åge Remøy Chairman, REM Offshore

Richard Schofield MANAGING DIRECTOR, HAV Design

Stig Remøy, CEO Olympic Subsea

Stig Remøy CEO, Olympic Subsea

Gunvor Ulstein_2024-Ulstein

Gunvor Ulstein CEO, Ulstein Group

Kjetil Clementsen-VARD

Kjetil Clementsen Vice President HR & Organization, VARD

Njål Sævik-Havila-CEO

Njål Sævik CEO, Havila Shipping

Lars Conradi Andersen-REM Offshore

Lars Conradi Andersen CEO, REM Offshore

Sea The Future

PROGRAMME

Students from NTNU Marine Technology in Trondheim travel with Havila Kystruten from Trondheim to Molde, while students from NTNU Ålesund join the program in Ålesund. All students continue to Sunnmøre for company visits, meet for dinner and networking in Fosnavåg on Wednesday evening, and conclude with the conference on Thursday, focusing on career opportunities and innovation in the maritime cluster of Møre og Romsdal.

07:45

TRONDHEIM, HAVILA KYSTRUTEN

STUDENT ATTENDANCE

Students from NTNU Trondheim boards Havila Kystruten.
Guided group tours of the bridge and the engine room.
Meeting point: deck 8

08:00

HAVILA KYSTRUTEN

CHECK-IN

Check-in Havila Kystruten for students who are not on guided tour.

09:30

HAVILA KYSTRUTEN

THE SHIP LEAVES THE DOCK

10:00

HAVILA KYSTRUTEN
Conference room, deck 6

WELCOME SPEECH AND INTRODUCTION

Presentation of today's programme by

Frank-Levi Kvalsund (HAV Group) og Vilde Haugen (MMCFP).

11:00

HAVILA KYSTRUTEN
Conference room, deck 6

COMPANY PRESENTATIONS

HAV Design | DNV

12:00

HAVILA KYSTRUTEN

LUNCH

13:00

HAVILA KYSTRUTEN
Conference room, deck 6

COMPANY PRESENTATIONS

MMC First Process | HAVILA kystruten

16:30

HAVILA KYSTRUTEN

ENTERING KRISTIANSUND

17:00

HAVILA KYSTRUTEN
Conference room, deck 6

PIZZA BREAK!

17:45

HAVILA KYSTRUTEN
Conference room

SUMMARY

Summary, learning, reflection, questions lead by Frank-Levi Kvalsund (HAV Group)

21:15

MOLDE, HAVILA KYSTRUTEN

ARRIVAL MOLDE DOCK

We travel to Thon Hotel Moldefjord for check-in

08:15

MOLDE
Thon Hotel Moldefjord

COMPANY VISIT - BRUNVOLL

Trondheim students travel by bus to Brunvoll for a guided tour and company presentation.

11:15

MOLDE
Brunvoll

DEPARTURE COMPANY VISIT - ULSTEIN GROUP

Trondheim students travel by bus to Ulsteinvik for a guided tour and company presentation at Ulstein Group.

17:00

ULSTEINVIK
NTNU Trondheim students

DEPARTURE TO FOSNAVÅG

Trondheim students travel by bus to Thon Hotel Fosnavåg.

19:00

THON HOTEL FOSNAVÅG

DINNER & NETWORKING

Organized dinner for students from Trondheim and Ålesund, and company partners for Sea The Future.

08:30-09:00

Thon Hotel Fosnavåg
Concert Hall

Registration & Networking

Program hosts: Frank-Levi Kvalsund (HAV group) & Caroline Hjellegjerde (Olympic Subsea)

09:00-09:15

Concert Hall

Opening Session & Introduction

Speakers: Hans Petter Hildre, Head of Department at NTNU Ålesund & Tine Storøy, Mayor at Herøy Municipality

09:15–10:30

Concert Hall

Session 1: The Future of the Maritime Industry

Inspiring speeches from industry leaders on the sectors bright future, with a focus on sustainability, digitalisation, automation, and new career opportunities.

Speakers: Lars Conradi Andersen, REM Offshore. Stig Remøy, Olympic Subsea. Kjetil Clemetsen, VARD. Richard Schofield, HAV Design. Njål Sævik , Havila Shipping

10:30–11:00

Session 2: Networking & Company Stands

11:00–12:30

Concert Hall
Cinema
"Redarrommet" Conference room

Session 3: Parallel Sessions (Company Presentations)

Company presentations from VARD, MMC First Process, Olympic, HAVILA, HAV Design, Marin Teknikk, REM Offshore, Ulstein group and DNV. Download appendix with details and time of the parallel sessions you can choose from.

12:30–13:15

Hotel Restaurant

Session 4: Lunch & Networking

Organized lunch and “speed networking” between students and companies

13:15–13:30

Concert Hall

Session 5: Destination Sunnmøre

Presentation and showcasing of the Møre & Romsdal region.

Speaker: Linn Therese Sævik

13:30–14:15

Concert Hall

Session 6: Inspiring Career Stories

Maritime professionals share their journeys — how they secured their roles, the challenges they’ve faced, and what they love most about their careers.

Speakers: Randi Johanne Bakken, Havila Kystruten. Bendik Weltzien, Maritime Trainee at VARD. Gunvor Ulstein, CEO at Ulstein Group. Åge Remøy, founder and Chairman at REM Offshore.

14:15–14:35

Break - Time for refreshments

14:35–15:20

Concert Hall

Session 7: Panel Discussion

Two panel sessions explore key themes shaping the maritime industry. The first focuses on how to attract and retain talent, highlighting what students see as appealing workplaces and how companies can meet these expectations. The second builds on this, diving into culture, technology, innovation, and sustainability, with insights from both students and industry leaders.

Moderators: Vilde Haugen (MMC First Process) & Helene Aarøe (VARD)

Panelists:

Havila Shipping - Njål Sævik, CEO
Olympic Subsea - Glenn Erik Valø, CCO
HAV group – Frank-Levi Kvalsund, CHRO
MMC First Process - Håvard Remøy, EVP Handling
Randi Johanne Bakken, Havila Kystruten
Bendik Weltzien, Maritime Trainee at VARD
Mathias Alten, Student representative
Øyvind Fure, Student representative
Markus Kvalsvik, Student representative

15:20–15:30

Concert Hall

Session 8: Why move to Møre & Romsdal?

Vilde Haugen from MMC First Process wraps up the panel discussion by sharing key reasons to live and build a career in Møre & Romsdal.

15:30–16:00

Concert Hall

Session 9: Closing & Summary

Wednesday | 10:30

Ålesund Campus

DEPARTURE FOR ÅLESUND STUDENTS

NTNU students from Ålesund travel by bus to Myklebust verft

Wednesday | 12:30-15:00

Myklebust Verft

COMPANY VISIT - MYKLEBUST VERFT

Guided tour and company presentation. Departure by bus for Fosnavåg after the visit.

Wednesday | 19:00

Thon Hotel Fosnavåg

DINNER & NETWORKING

Organized dinner for students from Trondheim and Ålesund, and company partners for Sea The Future.

Thursday | 08:30

Thon Hotel Fosnavåg

CONFERENCE IN FOSNAVÅG

See tab "Thursday" for full programme of the conference in Fosnavåg thursday.

Location Fosnavåg

Sea The Future - Maritime Career Conference

A conference focused on career opportunities and innovation in the maritime cluster of Møre og Romsdal.

Gerhard Voldnes veg 7
6090 Fosnavåg, NORWAY

frank-levi.kvalsund@havgroup.no