Aker Solutions is attending the Barents Sea Conference in Hammerfest this week.
![[Image]](/Global/Media/Events/BarentsSeaConference_320.jpg "[Image]")
From left to right: Magnar Asland, Advantec; Mikkel Virranniemi, Aker Solutions; Anne Marie Kollenberg, Aker Solutions; Arve Jørgensen, Statoil.
We are profiling our Subsea, Maintenance, Modifications and Operations, and Well Service technologies, together with our presence in the North of Norway.
The conference kicked off on Monday 23 April with the welcome ceremony held at the Arktisk Kultur Senter. Alf E. Jakobsen, Mayor of Hammerfest, gave a welcome speech and spoke about the opportunities and challenges in the region. He discussed among other things, the important role the oil and gas industry plays in supporting the city of Hammerfest and its neighbouring locations in the North.
"The North of Norway is an important location for Aker Solutions and attending this conference in Hammerfest helps to show our continued support in our new locations - Sandnesssjøen, Narvik, Tromsø and Hammerfest. By profiling ourselves at industry events such as this we are also able to get close to our clients and continue to build good relationships," says Ørjan Bock, site manager of Aker Solutions in Hammerfest.
Competence needs in the North of Norway
On Tuesday 24 April, Kjell-Are Vassmyr from Aker Solutions gave a presentation focused on Aker Solutions' competence needs in the North of Norway and how we shall achieve this.
He discussed the new engineering office in Tromsø and our ambition of recruiting 300 engineers here, as well as building up our offices in Sandnesssjøen, Narvik and Hammerfest.
"Aker Solutions' main activities this year in the area is recruiting and more then 1000 engineers have already applied for jobs in Tromsø. It is pleasing to see how many engineers who are originally from northern Norway are moving back home," states Vassmyr.
In total Aker Solutions will create 450 jobs in the North of Norway by 2015.
Another main activity involves close cooperation with educational institutions in the area, with the aim of increasing engineering study opportunities and competence in the region, as well as motivating students to move into this field.
Kvaerner, together with Aker Solutions, was awarded a major scope related to the Nyhamna contract with Shell, where 80 engineers in Tromsø will be engaged by the end of 2013. Staff will already be mobilised by 2012.
"This project will run over the next six years and creates a very solid basis for growth for our new office in Tromsø," ends Vassmyr.