Aker Group, REV Ocean and The Resource Group (TRG) on Wednesday announced a joint pledge of $11 million to three initiatives dedicated to developing disruptive technology solutions for a healthy and productive ocean.

“Throughout its 180-year history, the Aker group has been a driving force in the development of knowledge-based industry related to ocean resources. All our industrial activities are part of the ocean economy,” said Aker President and CEO Oeyvind Eriksen.

“Today, our ocean is at risk and changes are needed. I strongly believe that solutions for the ocean are developed more robustly and swiftly if businesses like Aker join forces with governments, NGOs and other stakeholders. A healthier ocean is a shared interest,” he said.

The $11 million pledge will go towards three initiatives, covering costs for the next three years.  The initiatives include the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) in Norway, which will receive $6 million, the Ocean Data Platform receiving $3 million, and the Plastic REVolution which is being granted $2 million. The initiatives will contribute towards preserving and sustainably using the ocean and marine resources through strong private sector engagement and technology drivers.

“We will create disruptive technology solutions for Our Ocean, starting with gathering and sharing facts. The Ocean Data Platform, launched yesterday, will gather and liberate data, enabling solutions and people – for one healthy ocean. Secondly, we will unite the right people. In the technology centre for the Ocean, we invite public and private partners to create collaborative solutions for the environment. And lastly, we translate ideas into action, through initiatives such as the  Plastic REVolution Foundation, which was created to develop commercially viable and scalable solutions to fight plastic pollution,” said Nina Jensen, CEO of REV Ocean.

About the three initiatives:

The Affiliated Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Norway (C4IR Norway) is being developed by the Aker Group and TRG’s philanthropic initiatives. Focusing on the ocean health and wealth, it will be the only center in the World Economic Forum’s C4IR Network that is dedicated to the environment. The Centre will cooperate with the business community, research institutions, and in close dialogue with the Government of Norway, the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy and others to design and pilot technology solutions and innovative policy frameworks. The center, which will be a non-profit foundation, aims to take a global leadership role in environmental innovation for the ocean leveraging on emerging 4IR technologies.

The Ocean Data Platform (ODP) is being developed by the Ocean Data Foundation, a philanthropic initiative by Kjell Inge Røkke, in close cooperation with REV Ocean. The ODP aims to liberate ocean data and connect people, data and technology to drive an ocean sustainability movement. The platform enables the entire ocean community such as academia, business and ocean policy /management to collaborate and share data for one healthy ocean by offering digital tools and services with easy access to data, immersive visualisation, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.

The Plastic REVolution Foundation is a philanthropic entity founded by Kjell Inge Røkke. It works closely with REV Ocean. It is created to develop commercially viable and scalable solutions to fight plastic pollution. The Foundation’s initial project is a plastic-to-liquid chemical recycling plant in Accra, Ghana, coupled with plastic waste collection systems.