An entire Norwegian fjord now opens for testing autonomous ship technology. Test-site Trondheimsfjorden is right on the doorstep of a world class research community – eager to take autonomous technology to the next level.

Spacious and low trafficked. The fjord outside the city of Trondheim now opens for anyone seeking knowledge about autonomous shipping. Last week Norwegian authorities, the research community and the industry agreed on making the fjord the first known test site in the world.

Behind the initiative are Kongsberg Seatex, Kongsberg Maritime, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, MARINTEK and Maritime Robotics. Collaborating with Trondheim Port Authority, The Norwegian Maritime Authority and The Norwegian Coastal Administration.

“We are establishing this test site in order to get momentum on development on new technology for autonomous vessels. The fact that the test site is established is creating a lot of energy in the research and university domain and also in the industry”, says Gard Ueland, President of Kongsberg Seatex.