Presented for the first time, the OSJ award goes to “an individual who is considered to have made a contribution of outstanding significance to the offshore support vessel market during their lifetime.”

“I am humble and grateful for the award, and I wish to share it with everybody that works in or has worked in the Ulstein Group”, says Idar Ulstein. “Without them, Ulstein Group could not have evolved from the fishing vessel repair company it was in 1917 to the innovative company it is today with a focus on R&D, state-of-the-art vessels, ship designs, and power and control systems.”

Ulstein triumphed through a vote conducted by an advisory panel comprising leaders from across the offshore/OSV industry. “In the end, the panel opted for Idar Ulstein. He’s played a huge role in the OSV industry and led one of the best-known shipbuilding groups in Norway for many years,” says OSJ editor David Foxwell. “In addition to developing a number of new vessel concepts, more efficient ways of building ships and adopting new technology, he has also played a key role in the maritime cluster in the Sunnmøre area of Norway – which has an aggregate turnover of NOK 50 billion and nearly 20,000 employees.”

In addition to Foxwell, advisory panel members include Ian Coates (Derrick Offshore Ltd), Arnstein Eknes (DNV), Borge Nakke (Farstad Shipping), Ian Giddings (IMCA), Neil Patterson (Offshore Ship Designers), Erik Haakonsholm (STX Europe) and Mike Porter (Riviera Maritime Media).

This year marks the fourth annual OSJ Annual Conference, which has become the foremost yearly international event for the offshore supply vessel sector. In 2009, the two-day conference attracted almost 300 industry executives. 

 

 

 

- Eg er svært glad og audmjuk over å ha fått prisen, og ynskjer å dele prisen med alle som arbeider eller tidlegare har arbeidd i Ulstein Group, seier Idar Ulstein. - Utan dei hadde ikkje Ulstein Group kunna utvikle seg slik selskapet har gjort, frå reparasjonar av fiskebåtar i 1917, til dagens bedrift som arbeider med høgteknologi og innovasjon, forsking og utvikling innan områda design, skipsbygging, og elektro & kontrollsystem. 

Eit panel samansett av medlemer med maritim bakgrunn vel ut kven som får prisen. I panelet sit Erik Haakonsholmt i STX Europe, Børge Nakken i Farstad Shipping, Arnstein Eknes i DNV, Ian Coates i Derrick Offshore, Neil Patterson i Offshore Ship Designers, Ian Giddings i IMCA, og David Foxwell og Mike Porter som representerer prisutdelaren Offshore Support Journal.