Next generation of ocean talent revealed in shortlist for Nor-Shipping Young Entrepreneur Award 2023

Nor-Shipping, in partnership with YoungShip International, has today announced the final four talented individuals set to battle it out for this year’s Young Entrepreneur Award.

Cpt. Alexandra Hagerty, the Founder of Captains Without Borders, André Risholm, Founder & CEO, Amon Maritime, Christina Aleixendri Munos, Co-founder and CEO, Bound4Blue, and Danielle Southcott, Founder, Veer Corporation, will now compete for the prestigious accolade, with the winner announced at the Nor-Shipping Opening Ceremony on 5 June at Oslo City Hall.

Passion for progress

The shortlisted group, all of whom must be under 40 years of age, were selected by an expert industry panel based on an ability to turn challenges into business opportunities, create jobs, enhance efficiency, adopt best practices, and address sustainability issues.

Amongst a highly competitive international field, Nor-Shipping Director Sidsel Norvik says the quartet stood out thanks not only to business acumen, but also their “passion for building a better future for maritime and the ocean environment”.

Accelerating ambition

“Amongst a diverse group, this really was a collective trait,” Norvik comments. “These four individuals have committed themselves to tackling some of the industry’s biggest challenges – and opportunities – head-on with bold solutions, determination and almost unlimited ambition.

“Each would be a worthy winner in their own right. I’m delighted to present them here in the shortlist for a prize that can help them supercharge their respective organisations; raising awareness, attracting support and giving them a global platform to showcase their unique talents. There can only be one winner, but here we have four exceptional people that, mark my words, we’ll be hearing a lot more about in the future.”

Global spotlight

This year’s shortlist has a truly international flavour. Cpt. Alexandra Hagerty, from the US, founded Captains Without Borders with the mission of encouraging and enabling greater diversity within maritime, supporting female cadets from under-represented groups as they aim to build future careers on the bridge.

Looking to the north, Canadian Danielle Southcott is the founder of Veer Corporation, an organisation with the ambitious goal of deploying the first clean container ship to cross an ocean, powered by wind and green hydrogen. Wind is also a focus for Bound4Blue’s Christina Aleixendri Munos, a Spanish company that aims to bring the renewable energy source to the wider industry with a breakthrough, automated turnkey solution.

Clean shipping is the shared passion of the final nominee, Norway’s André Risholm, who is developing what has been hailed as the world’s first carbon free shipping company, based on the concept that ammonia fuel will propel maritime’s “zero emission revolution”.

Unlocking opportunity

“This is such an exciting group of future industry stars, each of whom have built organisations around novel approaches to issues that long-established players have been struggling to tackle, often for many years,” adds Lene Osen Osnes, Secretary General, YoungShip International.

“For this industry to be truly sustainable, commercially as well as environmentally, we have to open pathways for the next generation to access the networks, support and markets they need to succeed. That way all stakeholders, from businesses and society, can benefit from the ideas, enthusiasm and energy that – as we saw from the huge field of talent competing for this prize – is so abundant in our young professionals worldwide. I can’t wait to see who wins this coveted title at Nor-Shipping 2023.”

This year’s victor will join an alumni of previous winners that includes Boyan Slat, Founder of Ocean Cleanup, Brim Explorer’s Agnes Árnadóttir and Espen Larsen-Hakkebo, and last year’s title holder Christiaan Nijst, Founder & Director, Value Maritime.

Early bird advantage

Nor-Shipping 2023 runs from 6-9 June in Lillestrøm and Oslo. In addition to the main exhibition and the Ocean Leadership Conference, a range of themed conferences include the first ever Nor-Shipping Offshore Wind and Offshore Aquaculture Conferences, the Second Maritime Hydrogen Conference, and the Fourth International Autonomy Summit.

Entrance tickets have now been released, with an early-bird discount available prior to 1 May. Included in the price is free use of public transport in Oslo (Zone 1) and between the Lillestrøm exhibition centre, entrance to all the exhibition days, access to the After Work @Aker Brygge social scene in Oslo, and entrance to all Technical Seminars and Blue Talks.

For the full Nor-Shipping 2023 programme, and all ticket details, please see www.nor-shipping.com