As a leading classification society, DNV is committed to ensuring consistency and reliability in its services by adhering to global standards and commitment to continuous innovation. DNV Maritime CEO, Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, tells Robban Assafina about the significant opportunities for DNV in the Middle East, and how the inauguration of DNV's regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia exemplifies a commitment to local presence and enhances its market share in the region. He also discussed DNV’s strategic development, including the acquisition of cybersecurity company NIXU, and the use of advanced tools like Emissions Connect to effectively address maritime sector challenges and drive regional growth and innovation.

How do you ensure consistency and reliability in your services across diverse industries and geographies, considering the unique challenges each presents?

To ensure consistency and reliability across various industries and geographies, DNV adheres to global standards and best practices, such as ISO certifications, which provide a universal framework for quality and safety. Additionally, we combine local expertise with global support, allowing us to address specific regional challenges while maintaining a consistent standard globally. 

We are committed to continuous improvement and innovation through our research and development efforts, which help us stay ahead of industry trends. Furthermore, DNV employs integrated management systems to streamline operations and ensure that our services are reliable and consistent, regardless of the location or industry.  

What are the unique opportunities and challenges DNV encounters while operating in the Middle East region? DNV’s recent inauguration of its regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia is a commendable dedication to making an even greater impact in the region. How do you see these efforts benefiting both the region and DNV's growth?

The Middle East offers DNV several unique opportunities due to its strategic location, which bridges Europe, Asia, and Africa, granting access to a diverse and expansive market. The region's rapidly growing maritime industry, particularly in Dubai, which is poised to become one of the top five maritime cities globally, according to our Maritime Cities Report, presents significant opportunities for DNV's services. 

Additionally, the Middle East's heavy investment in innovation and sustainability aligns with DNV's expertise, allowing us to enhance our market share. Establishing strong local partnerships is another key opportunity, as these relationships enable us to navigate regional nuances and build trust within the community. 

The recent establishment of the UAE Maritime Decarbonization Centre in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure further underscores our commitment to sustainability and innovation in the region. 

This center will serve as a hub for research, development, and implementation of innovative decarbonization strategies, promoting sustainable practices and technologies within the maritime industry.

Operating in the Middle East also presents challenges, particularly regarding the complex and varied regulatory environment across different countries in the region. Ensuring compliance with these regulations requires significant effort and adaptability. Moreover, economic volatility, driven by fluctuating oil prices and geopolitical tensions, can impact business stability and growth, posing additional challenges for our operations. 

The inauguration of DNV's regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia demonstrates our commitment to the region and brings several benefits. Firstly, it enhances our local presence, allowing us to provide better customer service and quicker response times. The new headquarters also facilitates closer collaboration with local stakeholders, leading to stronger relationships and more effective project execution. 

Additionally, this presence supports the region's growth by offering tailored solutions that cater to the specific needs of Middle Eastern clients, thereby strengthening our market position. Finally, the headquarters will serve as a hub for innovation, particularly in sustainability and digital transformation, further solidifying DNV's role as a leader in these areas.

DNV distinguishes itself by a high level of technical and economic expertise, what are DNV’s plans to guide companies in the energy-transition?

DNV envisions its role evolving through strategic collaboration with industry partners, particularly in developing knowledge and strategies for the energy transition. By participating in research projects, DNV aims to contribute to industry-wide and regional advancements, helping drive progress in critical areas. 

Additionally, we plan to partner with local businesses and governments to address specific challenges and develop solutions that meet the unique needs of each region and industry. This collaborative approach will allow DNV to remain at the forefront of innovation and sustainability as we expand into new markets.

On the cyber-security level, what can you tell us about DNV’s solutions to avoid such risks?

DNV’s expansion strategy focuses on addressing key global transformations, particularly in the areas of decarbonization and digitalization, and strengthening our offerings in these domains. A prime example of this is our recent acquisition of NIXU, a cybersecurity company. 

This acquisition enhances our capabilities in safeguarding demanding IT, OT, and industrial control system environments, which is increasingly critical as digital threats become one of the biggest challenges in shipping. By incorporating advanced cybersecurity knowledge into our offerings, we strengthen our ability to provide resilient solutions across multiple industries, thereby positioning DNV as a leader in these transformative areas.

How DNV is utilizing the latest technologies to improve its services as a leading classification society?

DNV is leveraging digitalization to enhance a wide range of existing services and develop new services and products. The shipping industry is working more and more with data and a lot of opportunities arise for increase of safety and efficiency, while taking off a lot of workloads. For instance, we utilize tools like Emissions Connect to help owners in providing reliable emissions data and ensuring regulatory compliance. The use of real-time data applications has also made surveying processes safer, more streamlined, and efficient. 

Additionally, DNV employs advanced simulation models for designing energy-efficient ships, which, combined with real-time data, helps improve operational efficiency. Utilizing technologies like these, and many more, to improve our services and the way we operate enables us to offer cutting-edge solutions that meet the evolving needs of the maritime industry. 

What are the main challenges facing the maritime sector with issues like alternative fuels, decarbonization, and sustainability, and how is DNV addressing these to advance the industry?

The maritime sector faces several significant challenges, particularly in adopting alternative fuels and advancing decarbonization efforts to reach the 2050 goals. One of the primary obstacles is the increased costs associated with these efforts, such as the capital required to build new or retrofit vessels and the long lifespan of ships, which creates a mismatch between production costs and the willingness of off-takers to pay. 

Additionally, there are supply constraints, as the availability of alternative fuels remains limited in the short and uncertain on the long term, hindering the industry's ability to transition away from conventional fuels. Another major challenge is the lack of global infrastructure for CO2 storage, which is crucial for managing emissions captured onboard ships. 

To address these challenges, DNV is promoting collaboration both within the shipping industry and with external sectors, such as fuel suppliers. 

This includes advocating for the development of green shipping corridors that facilitate the use of alternative fuels. In the current uncertainty about fuel availability and high adoption cost, DNV also emphasizes the importance of energy efficiency measures, which could reduce fuel consumption by up to 16% by 2030. 

Energy efficiency becomes critical as it may help reducing the global green fuel demand, making it easier to tackle the availability issues, while reducing the fuel costs in the future that we most probably will face higher unit fuel cost. In addition, we are advancing digitalization through tools like Emissions Connect, which help build an infrastructure of trust and enable smooth regulatory compliance across the value chain. Supporting onboard carbon capture to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is another critical area of focus. 

Finally, DNV is actively facilitating the adoption of alternative fuels such as LNG, methanol, and ammonia, helping the industry transition towards a more sustainable future.

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	Issue 93 of Robban Assafina (Sep / Oct. 2024)