Work-package leaders: Christian von der Ohe, GCENode.
Additional resource from NORCE: Ellen Nordgård Hansen

Background/Rationale:
The main purpose of WP7 is to align a good understanding between the industry partners and their vison for their future need for development and technology.

The digitalization of the industry has accelerated since the SFI Offshore Mechatronics was initiated in 2013. The downturn in the oil ang gas and maritime sector has resulted in a tremendous turnaround and willingness to look at and adopt new cooperation models between the suppliers and the oil companies, rig- and ship owners. Several of the companies are focusing on new business areas where solutions and technology from the O&G sector can be adopted. This implies that the research of the SFI has a much broader scope as many of the technologies and solutions are generic and can be applied to many other industries in the ocean space. This means that the industry partners have a wider focus and expectations of the outcome from the SFI.

The activities of WP7 should add value to the SFI by means of:
* Increased awareness of critical technology developments
* Up-to-date industry consensus on technology priorities
* Pre-assessment of commercial potential of new technologies
* Higher relevance of project results for project partners

Objectives:
SFI offshore mechatronics to be a dynamic organization that know the offshore industry well and is capable to implement strategy revisions and updates due to market trends and available new technologies within the offshore mechatronics and other market segments. Initiate and follow up a close dialogue with all work packages in the SFI Offshore Mechatronics to;
* Monitor technical progress and priorities and suggest spin out projects and/or topics for next phase of the SFI (2019-2023)
* Contribute to an increased synergy effect between the WP tasks
* Identify possible innovative technologies and potentially propose patent applications

Activities current year:
A1: Planning and performing 2 pcs WP7 workshops (tailormade for the SFI) – focus on innovation processes
A2: SFI Annual Conference – focus on innovation in SFI and new agenda for the industry partners. Two key-note speakers.
A3: Monitor technical progress in SFI and identify possible innovative technologies. Contribute to an increased synergy effect between the WP tasks. Potentially propose and encourage further activities towards innovation, commercialization, spin-off projects, spin-off products and patent applications.

This activity involves:
* Participate in all WP Leader Meetings
* Participate in all WP Reference Group Meetings
* Conversations in all WP sub-task for research and innovation part of SFI
* Map related and overlapping technology for the WP
* Map future activities with basis on SFI research and propose program and applications

A4: Review of the original SFI application and follow-up for tasks related to innovation processes.
* Evaluate R&D motivation described for each WP against todays market and industry
* Evaluate labs and tools described for the WP and their current contribution to innovation in the industry
* Evaluate international activities described for the SFI (ex. ‘Drilling Systems Automation Roadmap’ at IADC and SPE) and follow-up actions
Delivery: summary report with recommendation for further work

A5: Evaluating work tools for handling ideas within SFI.
Delivery: summary report with recommendation for further work

The following work-packages are currently running:

WP7.1: The management of digital business model innovation, PhD candidate Marius Kristiansen, started September 2020.