The Ocean is of strategic importance for Norway. It is the predominant source of resources, and it is one of the most important sources for value creation and workplaces. A prerequisite for future sustainable and efficient use of the Ocean Space is our capability to develop technology, methods and knowledge about the ocean. To achieve this, a research infrastructure facilitating cross disciplinary and cross industrial research must be established. OceanLab will be a central part of the planned Norsk havteknologisenter (Norwegian ocean technology center) in Trondheim, focusing on the following application areas: 1) Subsea operations 2) Autonomous maritime transport 2) Aquaculture and 4) Environmental surveillance. The infrastructure consists of instruments, sensors, broadband communication, e-infrastructure, small vessels and physical shore infrastructure that shall support the research activity at NTNU, SINTEF and other national and international research communities. OceanLab shall support the activities in the ongoing research centres SFF AMOS, SFI Exposed, SFI Move and SFI Smart Maritime, and is building alliances with universities, research institutes, industry and public partners for development and utilization of the infrastructure.
Digitalization and autonomy in the Ocean Space will be a key requirement for future sustainable and efficient utilisation of the ocean resources. The Ocean Space Field Laboratory Trondheimsfjorden addresses a requirement for a full-scale field laboratory for research and development of marine technology and science. The infrastructure is strengthening the visions behind the Ocean Space Centre in Trondheim and complement the planned basin and experimental structures of the centre. The infrastructure will support four specific application areas related to national and international strategies: 1) Subsea interventions, 2) Maritime transport, 3) Bio marine production, fish farming and fisheries and 4) Integrated environmental monitoring and forecasting.
The OceanLab will be an integrated network of facilities in Trondheimsfjorden and on the coast of Mid-Norway instrumented to address the main scientific focus in the project and covering the main targeted application areas. The infrastructure will constitute an integrated research environment, accessible through state-of-the art e-Infrastructure, and providing easy access to the physical infrastructure and the marine environment.
OceanLab will be constituted by a subsea template facility, AUV's, unmanned surface vessel, stationary buoys, fish farming cages with digital access, communication nodes and supporting e-infrastructure. Already existing research facilities at ACE, SFF AMOS, AURLab and SINTEF Sealab will support the OceanLab infrastructure with supplementary instrumentation and logistics.
OceanLab will be unique and constitute a very strong national hub on autonomy and digitalization of the oceans supported by established national research centers. It will be a major contribution to bring marine and maritime operations towards the state of full autonomy. The infrastructure will be a hub for cross disciplinary innovation and technology development across the focused application areas.