Norwegian Shipping: Holding on to traditions while driving change

From Norway’s deep traditions to the constant drive for innovation, Shipnet's CEO Terje Kristiansen shares his personal perspective on how the industry has evolved - and why Shipnet continues to stand alongside our customers at every step.

Nearly 30 Years in Shipping

I have worked in the shipping industry since 1996 - closing in on 30 years, which also means I am no longer the youngest in the room. Over this time, I have seen enormous change, but I also believe that many of the fundamentals remain the same.

Norway’s Strong Shipping Roots

Norway has always been a traditional ship-owning country. One thing that has never changed is the care and commitment shown towards both the industry itself and the people working within it. At the same time, competition, new regulations, environmental pressures, and advances in technology have reshaped the way we operate. Sometimes this happens in ways we might not have chosen, but the industry has always shown its ability to adapt.

My Journey with Shipnet

Most of my career has been with Shipnet, where we have been developing solutions for the maritime sector since 1993. Whether it is helping our customers optimise revenue through our commercial systems, ensuring accuracy and transparency in financial reporting, or supporting compliance and safety through our fleet management systems, our focus has always been on close collaboration. That partnership with our customers is what drives us forward, and it continues to be at the core of how we work.

Norway as a Global Maritime Flagship

I also believe that Norwegian shipping has long been a flagship for the global maritime industry. Innovation has consistently come from Norway - from new technologies to digital solutions and greener operations. This tradition of innovation is something we are proud to be part of at Shipnet, and it remains just as important today as it was when I first started in shipping nearly three decades ago.

And what about product development here at Shipnet?

We work with an innovation roadmap which focuses more on the growth of the business via strategic goals. This allows us to be more forward looking to projects, future trends, opportunities, and technologies. It is more cross functional and better aligns the business  - R&D, product, marketing, operations, and leadership. But best of all, it's flexible and can be adjusted for new tech, competitors and most importantly, our customers’ needs.

With Niall Jack driving the products, we focus on customer led development across all our products, with an emphasis on a modular approach, designed to adapt to our customers needs. Basically, we don’t build products we assume our customers need, we build in partnership with them.

Ready to talk? Get in touch today ...

Terje Kristiansen

CEO