About NODE Junior

NODE Junior is a network within NODE comprised of persons under the age of 30 who act as an advisory board for the top management within the NODE cluster, advising how they would act if they were managers today. NODE Junior's mandate is to provide advice centred around NODE's vision of assisting the companies in our cluster sustain world-leading positions, despite competition.

On 23 and 24 November, NODE held its fourth two-day trip to Oslo for NODE Junior. The participants were Audun Boye (AS Nymo), Thomas Holte (Cargotec), Stian Lantz (Aker Solutions), Kjetil Sindum (Air products), Erik Sørensen ( National Oilwell Varco), Morten Helleand (OTERA) and Kjell O. Johannessen.

How companies could promote their issues

On the first day of the trip, NODE Junior visited the Norwegian Parliament. Member of Parliament Peter Gitmark (Conservative) from Vest Agder, leader of the Agder bench, was their guide on a very exciting day.

The participants were permitted access to the Prime Minister's question time in the main Storting hall, were provided with a guided tour of the building and were taken through the underground corridors by Peter Gitmark to a meeting in a neighbouring building. During the meeting, they received detailed information on the working day of an MP, how the political parties function internally and in relation to other parties. They also learned how the different committees function and how a company or organisation can contact these committees to promote their issues.

Information on the work of the Standing Committee on Business and Industry

After lunch, they received a visit from Terje Aasland, who is leader of the Standing Committee on Business and Industry – an extremely important committee for the companies in our cluster. Terje Aasland and Kjell O. Johannessen had recently been working in detail on the schemes for export financing. Terje Aasland provided an in-depth explanation of the issues they were working on and how they carry out their assignments.

Kari Henriksen, a Labour representative for Kristiansand and representative for the governing parties, explained how she works and how she would like companies to contact her to discuss concerns. The participants then met with Kjell Ingolf Robstad (Norwegian Christian Democratic Party (KrF)), Svein Harberg (Conservative), Åse Schmidt and Ingebjørg Godskesen (Progress Party) from the opposition parties, who explained how it was to work for the opposition.

NODE Junior also met with MP Dag Terje Andersen, leader of the Conservative party Erna Solberg and the different representatives from Agder. Leader of the Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment, Erling Sande, who Kjell O. Johannessen had recently met in connection with a hearing in the Parliament regarding the new petroleum report, explained how the committee works with issues related to energy and the environment.

Innovation Norway's programmes

The second day started with detailed information from Innovation Norway on how their organisation functions, the tasks they have at home and abroad and their programmes available for companies and clusters.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy

The second half of the last day was spent at the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, where the participants received a thorough briefing on the functions of the Ministry, its international department and R&D Department. They also received a detailed introduction to Norwegian petroleum and gas policy from a national and global perspective. The participants ended their day by meeting the new leader of OG 21, gaining an insight into his thoughts on the work of the organisation.

NODE Junior at the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. Photo: Stian Lentz.