This week, the new board of Haugaland Business Park held its first meeting, and it is an experienced group from different parts of the business community that will work to lift the country's largest regulated business park and secure new jobs through green industrial establishments.
The nomination committee has been keen to ensure that the board has good expertise in the various segments of green industrial development, such as CCS, hydrogen and batteries, but also thorough experience of real estate, energy, public administration and politics.
ONS CEO Leif Johan Sevland continues as Chairman of the Board.
- "The new board consists of a great bunch of people who complement each other very well. They have broad and good experience, and there are several who know Haugalandet very well, which is good. Those who don't know the region as well bring a lot of good things from other places and will quickly get to know the area well. I'm really looking forward to working together in the future," says Sevland.
The new deputy chair is Trude Sundset, incoming CTO of Norsk Hydro. She comes from Aker Horizons, and also has extensive experience from Equinor and as former CEO of Gassnova.
- "I see a lot of opportunities for the business park. It's very well placed for new business development, with plenty of land, good access to infrastructure, energy and electricity, and the region also has very good access to expertise and relevant labor. In our board work, it's important that we have a holistic view of how the business park should develop in general, as well as working well in the market with relevant players and getting business started. We're already well underway, but it's important to get even more players on board to highlight the opportunities available in the park, which will attract even more start-ups," says Sundset.
Morten Halleraker works with new business areas as SVP in Equinor, and also has many years of experience from Norsk Hydro, where he was battery manager for several years.
- "Batteries are naturally an industry I'm very interested in, but there are also many other opportunities, with hydrogen, CO2 and other things. Haugaland Business Park is very centrally located for everything to do with the green shift, close to gas and electricity, a large catchment area with a lot of people, especially with Rogfast. It's a great place to establish the new green industry.
Also new to the board is Benedicte Staalesen, Head of Communications and Public Affairs at Northern Lights. She has a background from Eviny and several years in Equinor. She has also been a political advisor to Erna Solberg.
- "Haugaland Business Park is one of the most exciting - if not the most exciting - business parks in Norway," says Staalesen.
Project director and former shipyard manager at Aibel Haugesund, Ole Sandvik, is also a new board member of Haugaland Næringspark. He is interested in the synergies that can be gained from the strong industrial environment in the region.
-"It's important that we at Haugalandet stand together to create growth, because we can achieve more together than we can individually. I'm keen for us to get things done in our region, and I see great opportunities in Haugaland Business Park when it comes to contributing with safe and good jobs," says Sandvik.
Geir Tore Henriksen, CFO of Knutsen OAS Shipping, and Inghild Storesund, Vice President Transport Network at Gassco, will continue from the previous board.
- Haugaland Business Park has great opportunities to create future green jobs with renewable energy. "Because the area is so large, we also have the potential for the really big establishments. When we get access to the power we need, the industry will come," says Henriksen.
General Manager of Haugaland Næringspark, Tiril Fjeld, is very pleased with the expertise she can now draw on in her future work.
- "The election committee has done a brilliant job! This is a forward-looking and committed group that knows and understands the various markets we operate in, and who see the opportunities that lie in the business park in the years to come," says Fjeld.
THE BOARD OF HAUGALAND BUSINESS PARK: From left: Morten Halleraker, Geir Tore Henriksen, Tiril Fjeld (general manager), Trude Sundset (deputy chairman), Benedicte Staalesen, Leif Johan Sevland (chairman) and Ole Sandvik. Inghild Storesund is also a member of the board.