THE judges decision to award the Fathom Smart Shipping Changemaker of the year award to Hege Skryseth at Kongsberg was not easy.
The head of Kongsberg Digital was up against some tough competition and all could have been given the award for their drive over 2017 and 2016, but Skryseth won because of the active examples she has led her company to demonstrate over the year.
Skryseth is the drive behind the creation of Kongsberg Digital, the corner of the technology company that is driving both the change within Kongsberg as a whole, but also the utilisation of digital solutions within the company’s customers.
Today Kongsberg describes Kongsberg Digital as its centre of digital expertise, driving the transformation across the industry. It is a matter for Skryseth of changing hearts and minds, of building up communities as well as spreading the understanding and use of the technology.
Skryseth came into Kongsberg from a number of technology companies, including holding the position of CEO Microsoft Norway and Geodata, using this knowledge of building platforms and services form outside the maritime and offshore sphere, thus helping create Kongsberg’s own platform, Kognifai.
Skryseth describes her approach as open and collaborative. She is a firm believer that players from other industries, for instance non-maritime companies using their digital competence and solutions to enter the industry, are important to digital success in the maritime sector. She is helping to move digital development away from being ‘silo-based’ by fostering the development of solutions and technologies across industries.
Kongsberg calls Skryseth their smart shipping ambassador, not just for for the company, but for the digital maritime movement as a whole .
Her drive for the utilisation of digital solutions also supports NHO (the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise), eSmart Systems – a provider of next-generation IT solutions, and The Future Group – a leading interactive mixed reality technology company providing tools for TV, broadcast and entertainment applications in virtual and augmented reality; all of which she currently holds board positions on.
