February 26, 2025 • 57 mins
In the second episode of Cruise Pioneers, host Birgit Liodden, sits down with Njål Sævik, Co-Founder of Havila Holding, and Bent Martini, CEO of Havila Voyages, to explore how a family-owned business is leading the way toward sustainable cruise expeditions in the Norwegian Fjords.
This episode dives deep into Havila’s holistic approach to achieving emission-free and waste-free operations through a robust ecosystem of innovative technologies, circular economy principles, and a steadfast commitment to people and nature.
Discover how Havila Group is setting a new standard for responsible tourism, particularly when sailing through world heritage sites. Our guests share their vision of a sustainable future, where investment in both technology and human capital drives impactful change.
Tune in to learn how this pioneering company is bringing its values to life—from building an internal ecosystem of solutions to championing a greener, more circular cruise industry.
Mentioned in this episode:
TOOL's Cruise Innovators
Explore a world of Cruise Innovators, and nominate your favorite startup! community.toolspawn.com For Seatrade Global 40th anniversary in 2025, we will also prepare the very first edition of TOOL´s Cruise Innovators - a global overview of startups & innovators with enabling solutions for cruise. Welcome onboard our voyage into the future - and join the wave! Sign up today - community.toolspawn.com
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Episode Transcript
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>> Birgit Liodden (00:00):
Today we are joined by two amazing guests
from one of the cruise pioneers in our sphere.
We have with us Noel Sevik, who is the
chair of Havilah holding and co owner of
Havilah Group, and Bent Martini, the
CEO of Havilah Voyages. And
today we're going to dive deep into
how a family owned group
(00:22):
is truly bringing their values
into life, with a broad range of
initiatives in the maritime sector and including
a true pioneer on more sustainable cruise
expeditions. So welcome
Njol and Ben, nice to have you with me.
>> Njål Sævik (00:41):
Thank you, nice to be here.
>> Birgit Liodden (00:43):
And we are here with you today
to talk about your pioneer commitment.
We have listed some of your initiatives in Havala
Voyages among our global overview
of cruise pioneers. And we are super
eager to hear a little bit more from you guys
personally about your high level targets
(01:04):
for emission free and waste free cruise
and how you are building the competitive edge for
future proof industry with your initiatives.
And of course here we are talking about real
action, not including carbon credits,
and we know that you guys, you have done a lot,
we are really looking forward to hear first from
(01:25):
you Njol, you are the second generation
owner of Havilah and hands
hm on in the operations and I would
love to hear and share with our audience how
your father paid, and your own
family values and your personal story and
background has been embedded both
(01:45):
when you started building up Kavila way back and
also how it's implemented into the current
journey of the group as a whole,
today.
>> Noel Sevik (01:54):
Thank you Bill. We're coming for a small
place on the west coast of Norway and started with
fisheries back or my granddad started with fisheries back
in the forest together with some friends.
Family was in fisheries until 81. Then
my father and one of my uncles went into offshore
and developed companies
(02:15):
or we are now an offshore company number four,
and also have diversified into
other prospects. But I
think one of the reason that Havila
Group here are where it is today is
that you used what I used to say, the fisherman
culture. You're eager to use technology,
you're eager to find opportunities and
(02:38):
you need to, you know, to get hard work
hard to get success and find the solutions.
And today the
Jose Havila holding values is for
progress and prosperity, administer what you
have been created over generation, refine and
create new values, establish
rewarding jobs and build communities.
(03:01):
and those values we try to use in the whole group
in all the businesses and
also would say with that
it's always looking for new
things to do that you also haven't done
before. So the last addition in the
group is actually our biogas plant which was
(03:21):
opened in November this
year. So that's nothing that the maritime to do
but It's something that someone or someone we
know have an idea and an opportunity which we jumped
on and that also I can bring back
to my father. And when he was a child. He was
six years old when he
(03:41):
or my grandmom didn't find him one
day and The rowboat was
gone from where it was staying.
In the afternoon he came back of course they were seeking
and was asking everyone if someone had seen him.
But what I did as a 6 year old guy I took this robot
crossed the fiord to the small city
across the island we live which is 1
(04:03):
nautical mile 1852
meter. So when he came back I know the
boat towed him back but when he came back my grandmother asked me why did
you do it? I just want to see if I could make
it. And I think that's something we. Which
is very describable also for.
>> Birgit Liodden (04:19):
For the group M. That's an
amazing story and it's also
I think it's very. It's very well
connected to basically the cruise innovators
we work with. I mean it's truly the
entrepreneurial spirit being kept alive in
many different ways all the way from. From
him as a six year old and to where you are today.
(04:42):
And Ben I wondered. I mean you have a. You have a
strong leader career in
the maritime and How
is it coming into a family owned
company like Havilah with very committed and
engaged owners and then bringing your own
values and hard courses
(05:02):
really into the journey of Havila
Voyages.
>> Bent Martini (05:06):
To be frank I think it was not
very difficult for me to actually fall in
into the kind of the thoughts and the
values and the
Ability to create willingness to
create willingness to
actually
Deliver something that actually
(05:29):
Give something back to the one thing is
to the nature and the commitment to the nature
and the people involved in the
company because Having a kind of
committed owners understanding what you really are
doing. Not only
financial instrument but also coming
into the operations that's
(05:51):
so fantastic for all
actually working in Havila Voyages is Having
owners that really do understand this business and to
understand What it means to actually create
and build up Such a company.
>> Birgit Liodden (06:06):
and can you tell me Ben, what are the
key ambitions and targets for Javier La Voya?
Just to explain that to our listeners and viewers out
there when it comes to moving us
towards an emission free and waste free
future.
>> Bent Martini (06:21):
Yeah I think the only
actually two sentences that
Pair Savik, and the family actually gave me when
I started this is pair
have said that we are sailing in the world
heritage. so should the generation to
come be able to do,
meaning that we have
(06:43):
a, we have a
task to actually whatever we are
doing, we should do it and
take care of the nature.
and looking at
one thing is to build vessels, believing in
technology, choosing technology, that is
(07:03):
something of course extremely
difficult when you are investing four or five
hundred million dollars in building Vess,
looking ten years ahead. What will be the,
what, what really will be the technology out
there and how should you do that? And then you also
have to invest in the people, you have to build up the
(07:24):
people and create kind
of the DNA in a company that
actually should move the company forward.
should you be able to do that? Everyone needs to believe
and it starts with the top. The
owners need to be committed and
we in the management need to be committed.
(07:45):
And then as long as we walk the talk, we
actually will be able to
deliver something. And with the ambitions this
company have, with the owners
support of course we have
moved this industry
far what it comes to
kind of the technology on the environmental side
(08:08):
is one thing, but also the concepts we are
operating on board with the food
waste focus on reducing the food
waste, circular economy in all
aspects of the operations. That's extremely
important for us. So whatever we are doing should
start with the ambitions of sustainable
operation. And that is supported by the owners. And I
(08:31):
have a slogan and that is try a little, learn a lot
because try it out. Don't
wait to get kind of instructions or
whatever because those that
people that are working on board the vessels, they are
out there every day they see solutions.
Try it out and share,
learn from it, share don't be afraid to do
(08:53):
small errors. That's okay because that's the only
way we can learn. If you look at all
the aspects of operating such
vessels having unique
ambitions in moving forward,
then we will do errors, but we have to
learn from it and share and then we will
just grow and
(09:15):
develop together. So for
me coming from many, many years in the
deep sea, where we also have a
fantastic focus on safety and
environmental side. coming into this,
being allowed to actually grow together
with everyone else. supported
by a family with a fantastic
(09:37):
ambition. their legacy
is I think will be that they
were those that actually moved this
industry with their investments and their belief
in sustainable operations.
>> Birgit Liodden (09:51):
Thank you Ben and Njool.
I mean this is I think really great to
listen how Ben describes your group and the
family ownership in this. and I mean
you're quite new on the coastal route
and this more like the expedition cruise
operations. But as I recall
(10:12):
this builds into a more
holistic approach on working towards an
emission free, waste free industry. And can you
share a little bit more with us? Because I mean Haviland
Voyages is more kind of one
part of sort of an ecosystem
of operations and solutions
and companies within your group.
(10:35):
Can you talk a little bit more about what
else is it that group has
its fingers and ambitions into in order to
drive this green transition for all of
us.
>> Noel Sevik (10:48):
Of course it started actually with
offshore, which offshore less low is also working
in renewable. So but it started there the driving
forces, and also I would say booming time from
07 until 12 where you
did a lot of the easy things. Technology, device
and also human wise. we was
(11:08):
also looking to sitting on as
a majority shareholder in
a ferry company which was
sold last year, then had
80 more or less 80 ferries
where from 2013 till
we sold half of them was
being electrical.
(11:31):
so then also when we would say
decided and was lucky enough to be able
to do the Havilah Boyegas, of course you try to
use the knowledge you have learned the technology
and develop that into
those. and of course our
knowledge is about or have been
about operating in ships.
(11:52):
So we felt we had control there and
it was willing and eager to
also use the
2018 technology to be the
best in that because that's also something you learn
and a little bit back again to the fishermen
culture. and also what you are seeing when the
offshore was booming. I'm not sure if all projects that
(12:15):
have been realized are really fitted into
Excel sheets because as long as you believe in
technology, you are willing to
put some money into it and take the risk that it would
work because you know that it will give
you an advantage if does.
And that of course in combined with a lot of
(12:36):
majority suppliers which
are also on the same
foot give an advantage.
and that's something from our perspective
is very important to be successful in business.
but of course the most important thing that's
people. It's always known to people
(12:56):
and that's from the top to the last man.
And there I think we have a culture which is very
good. As Ben said, give
input, do things and not
even do mistakes because everyone do
mistakes small and big, but learn from your mistakes.
That's also more or less saying
(13:16):
we have in our group in all the
companies do things.
It's much better to do things and don't do it wrong
than sit there and do nothing and hope it's
go in the direction you want it to do.
And of course then you need to
also when you move m into things you don't know
anything about or more or less do not anything about,
(13:38):
you also need to connect with people that can
give you the knowledge and be supportive to
you. And of course we also
own three hotels. so you can
say but it's different to run a hotel in Gyrangar, to do
it on a ship visiting the Geirong Fjord.
So but we try
to put the knowledge together in the whole group
(14:01):
and use it where it can be used.
and m let everyone know
what's going on and also as much as possible
and also let the other companies,
even those you don't think have any knowledge to get
out from voyages but if they know that that is going
on, maybe someone that you haven't thought about can say
(14:22):
oh not the full picture of that but a small part of
it I can use in my business to do it better
or more environmental friendly.
So it's about
combination available technology and knowledge
and also try to seek for new
things to do to do it better and more environmentally
friendly. That's a little bit
(14:44):
in our bone to use that word.
Definitely.
>> Birgit Liodden (14:47):
And you have of course you have had a
very interesting first
mover initiative on batteries with I think
Corvus. and
I hear word on the street says that you do a lot
focus also on the hydrogen value chain. Can you talk
a little bit more about
(15:07):
your path basically in Havilah
towards the green transition.
>> Noel Sevik (15:12):
Yeah the battery was obvious because that
was, was available and something that you could do
and when the vessels was delivered that was the largest battery
pack in the world. But
we also saw that when this was done there
was several other
technologies being discussed as what say the
green future for fuel.
(15:35):
amongst those hydrogen. So hof
Design together with Sintef
got a pilot to develop
we'll say a hydrogen project on the Havil
avoided as vessel which which is now done and
so so in place also would say
can can be done. but as always
(15:56):
it's Was it two things with moving into new things
like that and that's one thing is the technology and be able
to do it on the ship. And the second thing is was the
infrastructure. Get availability of
hydrogen, get acceptance
for it, get authorities,
customers, everyone else involved.
(16:17):
ah and of course it's down to
financials and
we also today as long as there are
enough biogas available we can change that.
Tomorrow we can start using biogas and then
more or less be CO2 emission free
or emission natural.
(16:39):
But of course that cost extra m money and
Yeah as long someone need to take
that extra cost. And
we have said that we can take some of it and
also challenge others to be part
to develop that. But we haven't been successful so
far on that m. Thank
(17:00):
you.
>> Birgit Liodden (17:01):
And that brings us really into the kind
of next stage. I mean because you have very strong
and bold and clear commitments. and
I'm very curious to hear about the progress that you're
making. Where are you ahead of your targets and
where is it in which areas is it that you really experience
the most challenging bottlenecks when it comes to
(17:21):
delivering the group and the Havilah
voyages, ambitions and commitments.
Do you have some good examples?
>> Noel Sevik (17:29):
I think if we start with the villa voyages I think we are a
little bit ahead of schedule on the total picture.
Some is above Ben can maybe say more in
details about it. the offshore
renewable side of things we are more or less on target.
We have said internally but again we did
a lot of what say the easy things until
(17:49):
2018, 2020. So now it's real
hard work to do. Yeah it's
hard work and day to day work. We have
what say was early out to
optimalimize to get control of fuel
consumption and all these things. And also a system that we can follow
that on an hour by hour basis at
office if we want to. But
(18:11):
it's much down to the
small things, down to people and how you do things on board and do
it a little bit smarter. and then my
challenge on the offshore renewable side
is that you see that vessels working in the North Sea
you have high acceptance and
a target together with your clients. But when you
(18:32):
get outside The North Sea, it's different rules
and ambitions on this. and as
long as then your client is
deciding operation and if
it's safe to run with four or six engines,
it's not only done to us. So that's another
perspective you need to take into consideration.
(18:54):
we have seen on the Havilah voyages vessels
that when people start learning the
vessels LNG
consumption have been going down quite
rapidly from the start. All these other
things which have been targeted had more or less been met,
all of them I think. And then it's of course don't
to start to be more ambitious and
(19:16):
stretch it a little bit longer than you had as a plan
in the beginning. But for the group
on the what say vessel side, we
are following the ambitions which both the Ship Owners
association have and most of the other shipping
companies today have. but
we probably see that the
(19:36):
2030 targets, they will be hard to
reach, especially on the offshore
side because Yeah, some of those things
that was thought going to happen when you set
as ambitions 20, 21,
22 haven't happened.
>> Birgit Liodden (19:51):
Thank you. I'm bent on your
side more in depth into voyages.
you have I think ships that are hydrogen
ready so to say, where
do you have bottlenecks and what has really been
the challenges operational?
>> Bent Martini (20:09):
Ah, we have as also
mentioned by the project, ah
actually since 2018, which we post last
year that is developing
concept with running these vessels
on hydrogen and the vessels are prepared
for running on hydrogen. and we also have a
(20:29):
pre approval from the Norwegian Maritime
Directorate and the NVSA Class Society
to do that. so whether we,
we can do hydrogen, we can do
ammonia. I think
the big question is rather what will
be the requirements or the
(20:51):
regulations by the Norwegian government in the
next concession along the. If
you look at the coastal route, because
the cost of hydrogen versus LNG
or biogas is much higher. so
the start starting point there is How
do you actually commercialize hydrogen
(21:12):
in this business. we have a great
cooperation with companies
now actually have been
they have received money from the Norwegian government or
by NOVA to invest in
hydrogen plants.
so we have kind of a very good
(21:34):
solution if you look at the distribution of hydrogen
without kind of having to invest in
infrastructure for the Norwegian government. so we can
actually be self supported along the Norwegian coast
with hydrogen meaning that we can Save
zero emission, along the Norwegian
coast. Our vessels are prepared. We
(21:55):
can sail with biogas
today in combination with the battery packages.
We are klima neutral.
we have reduced the CO2 by
35 to 40%, up to now
compared to the figures, or
the requirements in the contract with the government.
(22:16):
That's compared to similar vessels running on
diesel. So we have done a lot so
far. But our ambitions is that we by
2028 should be climate neutral, meaning that
we will start blending in biogas
already next year. and
then by 2028
(22:36):
be climate neutral, and by
2030, zero emission ready.
Meaning that when we enter into the new concession,
if the Norwegian government put that as a
requirement, we are already
ready to sail these vessels,
zero emission. And we also have other projects
(22:57):
running now. meaning that we
can catch the CO2, in the
LNG. that is also a potential for us
to continue running on LNG. But
we will catch the CO2
and methane, and then
we are zero emission also,
(23:18):
in that respect. So. Meaning that we are working
with different
technologies, and prepared actually
for different technologies with the vessels we have
today. So,
when I see that all others,
they are just talking about the challenges
and the troubles, we have the solutions, we are
(23:40):
ready. Ah, and we will also by
2030, triple the
capacity, on the battery packages. the technology
of battery are extremely
positive, developing fast.
So compared to 2021
when we got delivered the biggest
(24:01):
battery package in the world, 6.1 megawatt on board
such a vessel in 2030 or
actually tomorrow we could have this tripled,
at the same weight. Yeah. So in
2030 at least triple,
maybe higher capacity.
So I think if you look at the
bottlenecks, that is,
(24:25):
I think the regulators, they need to
really deliver on the ambitions.
You cannot just like they did with the World
Heritage fjords in Norway, just change
regulations because someone is complaining,
someone is not doing their job. We were
ready, we sailed the World Heritage fjords.
(24:45):
Zero emissions already four years
ahead of 2026, which was
the ambitions for the
Norwegian government. now they have changed that to
2032, which is
crazy. It's a scandal. if you look at
the, you cannot, you cannot blame
the technology. The technology is there. This
(25:07):
is more kind of the willingness, for those out there to
invest and do the job.
>> Birgit Liodden (25:13):
And that's so interesting. I think
as we Are having a very clear
target with cruise pioneers podcast of also reaching
out to the outside world and talents that
are eager to be part of changing
society. I mean it's quite
ironic that we actually see this
(25:35):
amazing case where business is ready and
waiting for the government. Ah so I think this is
also a A huge opportunity for any young
listeners out there. The talents you know make
your voices heard and actually get out there
towards towards our politicians and those that are making
the decisions in society as well. I think
(25:55):
this is really you know the a
huge growth now of young people who
wants to work with creating a
green footprint and spending their lives being
part of solving huge challenges.
And I think well one thing is that the
industries and the business sector says
that we are ready to go but I think then the
(26:18):
young generation can also make a huge impact
towards their politicians in pushing
them on standing firmly and
committed to what they have set out for.
And I also then wondered because of
course you are working with
very complex issues and I think
(26:39):
Moving us towards 2030 of course the
hot potato and the hot topic out
there all over cruise and in the maritime sector is
really also how can we capitalize, how can we
find solutions and implement solutions on
existing fleet and ships that will enable
us to take down emissions while we are waiting
for the new and completely clean technologies.
(27:02):
And that really brings us into
the of power couples
that this series is really all about.
we dive into these power couple
dynamics where one larger
player targets is the other smaller actors
business case across the value chain.
And It was just mentioned that you work
(27:25):
with Corvus on batteries with half design on
the fuel cells. do you have other
good cases
where the group has worked proactively
with entrepreneurs and smaller
innovators in really
moving your
actions and the progress in the group
(27:47):
in a different way because you work in the mix
of corporate startup corporate
innovator that you could share with our audience
Niol like to start with you.
>> Noel Sevik (28:01):
We have a lot of small and larger projects going on
all the time time and try to develop and
and
it's also a little bit about was it using
the small things like cleaning
hulls which know what we are doing on both
OSHA vessels and on on on the Chester
or the voyages vessels which give you
(28:23):
some percentages if you do it regularly on fuel
consumption. so. So there
Is an agreement in place to also use one small
companies with robots cleaning the house
now and then. And it's
also. So it's a combination of doing what's
these small things together with the larger
(28:43):
things that you're going to do tomorrow. And
as I also probably said before,
achieve to take the small things today
and then also work with the largest,
largest things, things that need to be done for what say the
new new tender or to do tomorrow
or if you're going to do a or a new build in the
(29:04):
subsea renewable side of things. And
then it's a little bit down to if
you would say gonna push that. But six months
from now or 12 months from now, what technology is available
to them already and what do
you think would be available during the building period
which you can build and what, and what can you prepare for
(29:24):
what's a delivery further forward.
So excuse
me. So it's all about what they
have these dialogues with various parties and
we'll say open, to also change that if
you start a route and after 12 months
or 18 months find out it's probably not
what it's going to be because
(29:47):
a competitor or a similar product with.
But this much better have come up. You also need to
be able to say okay sorry, it was very nice to
work with you and your idea as a grammer but
unfortunately.
There was someone else with much better
things. And of course it's also been more
challenging in the past
(30:10):
because everything is changing faster on
a general basis. Also new
technology and I
also think we as a
maritime industry have a lot to
learn to start using
AE and other things that we
don't know much about but should learn us
(30:32):
how to use it in our business
with focus on how to use
it not to revolution the world,
but how can we use that to
optimalize our operations, be even
more environmentally friendlier and all these things.
Because the maritime industry is normally quite
(30:53):
conservative and
we try to be one of those which is not
conservative. But there are things
that I don't know a lot about that is I think we need
to in one way or another try to bring into our
group to use to make us even
more innovative than we are today.
>> Birgit Liodden (31:13):
Yeah. And Ben, do you have some good
examples of where there are very clear
advantages of strengthening your
own kind of superpower, on your
innovations by working with entrepreneurs and
smaller innovators. Do you have some good cases
there?
>> Bent Martini (31:30):
Yeah, maybe. one of the things I'm Really
proud of is if you look at
sustainable operations and our focus on
food waste where we partnered up with one of
the kind of high standing chefs
in Norway. He was
a trainer for the Olympic Games, or
(31:50):
Olympic team
making food. And the task
was food waste, reduce food waste
but keep the high standard. Standard
of the food. And we ended up with kind of the
concept we have today where people feel that
this is just coming into a high
(32:11):
standing fine dining and
still we have reduced with only our four
vessels we have reducing the food
waste by 70 tons a year
compared to the same type of
operation on this route.
and that is fantastic. Which is
(32:31):
The best restaurants in the world are not able to do
that. so this is something
fantastic as I see it
and operating these
vessels like yes you have a hotel,
you have a passenger ferry, you have cargo
(32:52):
vessel. because this is a very complex
operation in so to speak. and
whatever we are talking about when it comes to
environmental issues, operating
vessels that's about energy,
and consuming energy. and
a huge hotel. This is four of the biggest
hotels in Norway sailing along the Norwegian
(33:15):
and so all consumers on board
we need to have control of. We need to.
Everyone working on board the vessel needs to have kind of
a focus on using the
energy. But in order to help
them we need to have an
integrator. How do you
(33:35):
actually have control of all
consumers? how do you help
each and one and the management on board to actually
govern this? and then we have a
company Norway Norwegian Electric Systems that actually
took that kind of challenge to
integrate to develop the
(33:55):
integrator. and that is. I don't
think anyone have done that before because
if you look at all the makers out there they would like
to own their kind of integrator
themselves. But on our
vessels Norwegian ah electric systems have
the overall control as an integrator
(34:15):
meaning that we have control and that
is a small company in Norway
actually doing that. and I think that
is something of course helping us a
lot. But also if you look
at the small companies in
Norway developing this
(34:36):
enable also them to go out in the world actually
to help others out there. And I know
that Yeah.
>> Birgit Liodden (34:43):
So would you say this gives a cruise ship kind of
smart house capabilities?
>> Bent Martini (34:48):
Absolutely. that's the correct
wording. That's a smart house capability.
and it is not necessarily that
huge investments, but
you need to do it. You need to dare to do it.
And if you look at all the vessels out
there, if they
(35:09):
really focus on the consumers on board a vessel,
there's a lot of money to save, but it will
have a huge impact on the environmental
issues and reducing the emissions.
So it's a, But. But I think it's It's
a fight, internally, with a lot of
the big makers, the need
(35:29):
to actually
accept that someone needs to
be the integrator. and
really in order for us to get
control of energy consumption, we need
help. And
that is one of the big issues. My
(35:51):
concerns when we also when in
other companies are perverted, is that how do you actually
get control? I can
say that we have control, but we can develop it even
further. And that is what we are doing every day.
So last year, first,
half last year we reduced consumption,
(36:12):
with the vessels with 18%,
1 8%, just
in working with the crew, working with
the people on board in how to actually
optimize.
>> Birgit Liodden (36:24):
Wow.
>> Bent Martini (36:25):
So that is extremely,
And I wouldn't say that we, before we
started on that project, was bad. But
after the project maybe we were bad. But
it creates kind of a huge motivation for the
people on board is kind of a
(36:45):
healthy competition. It's a healthy day discussing
each with each other, vessel to vessel,
shift to shift. And they really.
It's a, They're very focused on this, in. And then of
course in all aspects on board. When you are running
the vessel into the World Heritage fjords or all
other ports and areas where we are
(37:06):
sailing with zero emissions.
Of course, everyone understand what to do.
If you are a chef, you know that you
need to have finished the
meals, before you enter the World Heritage
Fjord, because
suddenly you will not have any
energy in the In the galley.
>> Birgit Liodden (37:29):
Exactly. And so
when we kind of basically
visually move into the Heritage fjords, I
mean we've been talking about
the food waste programs, the
energy, the whole green transition.
I wanted to hear from you
(37:49):
about your unresolved pain points. So
I asked you to share with us and
the audience one additional area where you have
commitments and where you are interested in
partnering up with entrepreneurs to power
couple for radical solutions. And then I'm looking you
know, more towards what other, what
other pollution into the. To
(38:12):
the fjords, that can be avoided. And also
the part of kind of the local footprint,
the experience and the integration and the.
The involvement with the local
communities, the very small communities that you
visit en route ne.
I can start with you if you have some parts.
>> Noel Sevik (38:32):
No, yeah, forgot a little bit that
one.
But of course it's
as I say and also we have in our values
communities is important for us. And when we have it in our
values, it's more or less the community where we are born
and based and Everything. But of course on the
(38:53):
Havilah voyages you are visiting so many
ports. There are so many
suppliers, people that want to
say get a living of what you are
doing. And that's also for the
group local suppliers, local
people. We want to involve
the communities around the coast
(39:16):
because this is not only about
for us earning money or be the best in
class. It's about the Norwegian community
and the coastal community. And also
with everything going on in the world
at the moment and the geopolitical
situation, this is important
as well that
(39:39):
on the Havilah voyages vessels that they are following
on and look into things that is not
normal, especially up north,
but it's going on all around the
coast. So we are
there to be facilitators
to develop the small communities around the
coast with our businesses and give people
(40:01):
opportunities to make business on our
business. And
that's important for us. And also what as I said, a
part of the value because that's how we
have developed the community where
we are based. I said
several times that when you. From
(40:22):
2010 to 2014 you built
a hotel, concert hall
and a large swimming pool
area with several pools for
at that stage approximately 450 million in
a community that are living around
10,000 people. If you ask a hedge fund
(40:43):
guy in London or New York if that's reasonable
spent money, they will say you are crazy.
But that was done together with
M. The
commune and the
business development. So
we are in our bone that we
(41:04):
need to develop the societies that we are part
of to give it be and
give it and let it be an attractive
place to live. And that's also
something we have after we went in the voyage
try to develop on all these places you are
visiting around the coast. And then maybe Ben can give
some more color on it.
>> Birgit Liodden (41:26):
Yes, thank you. And Ben, I heard some
rumors that you are in a
progress of sort of reinventing your
Eco Voyager program. Can you
elaborate on how can this bring opportunities
for various type of entrepreneurs in the value
chain and you know, what are the
(41:46):
typical examples of innovators and
entrepreneurs that would be in your
scope? along the coast.
>> Bent Martini (41:54):
Yeah, of course the
Havila Voyages or the coastal route is a part of the kind
of Norwegian critical infrastructure like
visiting 34 ports from Bergen to Keithnaz
and 30 three ports back. we are always
there. If you look at the Havilah
voyages We have about 600 employees
(42:15):
but we are creating ah additional
3000 employees along the Norwegian
coast. Local in the local
communities. meaning that what we are
consuming on board, the food we are buying
locally. So we are creating value
locally.
and if you look at the
(42:38):
and of course that's about having focus
on kind of the short distance delivery of food.
but creating value locally is
extremely important for us with the
concepts we have, with the food focus
that creates also new opportunities for the
local delivery. kind of if it's
a small farm or whatever,
(43:01):
fish farm, they will kind
of also change their way of operating. When we
are talking about sustainable operations,
whether it's excursions ashore,
we have about 70 excursions along the
coast. delivering
those excursions. Excursions have to deliver those
(43:21):
in a sustainable way. and
that's about our Eco
Voyager program. Also when you are
traveling with us, the excursions
you should do, which we presented to
the, to the guests. of course
they need to be green also. so
(43:41):
for example,
if you look at
different kind of if it's buses
it could be ATVs or whatever they are using
on those questions, they are not kind
of run by diesel or gas. They are
run by electrification or
(44:03):
biogas. So that's kind of
a part of it. and of course we are working
together with those locally to
develop new type of
products. Whether that is products that we
keep on board, sell on board
or they provide for us
ashore when our guests are coming, ashore.
(44:26):
So the point here is that we would like
our guests to be very much aware
of what kind of local community
are you visiting. what can you do when you're
going ashore? what should you have
focus on also when it comes to the taking
care of the local environment. and how can
we put value back to the local
(44:49):
societies when our guests are there?
so we have to kind of
give back when we are sailing along the
Norwegian coast, whether that is to have some Guests
or our crew ashore to clean
the shoreline.
that's of course concepts we are doing.
But most of all when people are
(45:11):
there, they need to
understand the locals. and the
locals kind of have
to feel that they're getting something back when we are doing
this. so, but it
takes time to actually build this up. and that
will be the main focus going forward
now on the ecoboy program
(45:34):
from whatever you are doing on board as a
guest that you actually are invited
in to our
DNA to understand our DNA, how we
actually would like to, Why
should you actually, save
energy on board? How can you do it?
how have you prepared the vessel to save energy?
(45:57):
and that journey?
and what we see that a lot of the guests
coming, they are choosing us
because of the
sustainable operations. they are very
focused, they have a lot of questions when they are
coming. and of course we are not afraid to show
them. And that is also part of what giving back
(46:19):
is that why shouldn't you be allowed to
see the vessel and see the inside of the
vessel? this is kind of
what is actually creating this. And
I don't think that is kind of. That's not
ordinary. When we are
taking guests up to the bridge, the
captain can explain for
(46:41):
them what is happening.
and other areas on board is
also, when, when.
When it's potentially possible we are opening up
and showing the guests. This is actually,
this is actually the systems. So, So.
So it's a kind of,
(47:03):
not. Not kind of a school class.
>> Birgit Liodden (47:04):
But we have actually, we have talked about
that in, in our first episode and we will continue
to, to bring that message out there. because I think
that working with bringing
Cruise into a more sustainable era and
future is really an
amazing opportunity to bring people
into a mindset transition
(47:27):
experience. Because you can use the cruise ship and the
whole experience for the crew and the
passengers, to really
experience this kind of floating test. But
of journey into the future, if you
do it right, that can truly enable people
to bring back a new mindset,
new perspectives, reconnect,
(47:49):
them closer with nature and local
societies in a different way than you know,
regardless where they come from, big cities around the
world, if they live by the sea or
not. And, and that really brings us over
to my last question, to you. That
goes out to all of the talents out there because
Citrine has a strong focus
(48:11):
on what we call the tomorrow's talents
today. and Both of you have
touched upon this. I mean we all need great
humans on board with us to build a future of
cruise and I wanted to hear
some slightly different perspectives with your
personal hacks, advice to talents
and other industry colleagues or to
(48:33):
share a specific mindset or skill set that you
consider key for talents who are
eager to join the cruise pioneer
movement with us. And I wanted
to split it a little bit differently
with first the owner and founder's perspective from
you new all because we generally ask
about advice and insight to general
(48:56):
talents. But of course for you I would also love to
hear your reflections
and advice to established and next
generation owners. how can the
seniors make more room for the new generation of
owners and how can the next
generation come in and build the
(49:16):
values and vision of the founder of the previous
generation to create this changing environment,
making it their own. and how can this
also be something that truly can
inspire the founders of today
by sharing this mindset and
long term thinking from those that have
built companies before them.
>> Noel Sevik (49:38):
I think first of all it's
important to give opportunities. That's even if it's what's
the next generation or if it's someone
coming into organization that they need
to be given opportunities, they need
to be given
roles that give them a meaningful
day at work or to
(50:01):
do and do every day.
And I
think it's always difficult working between
generations that some or at least
from my point of view it's something that
we used sometimes to find the
roles between ourselves when I
start working ashore. but
(50:24):
I think that's possible as long as you have an open dialogue and
also what say find the various
way
you need to give trust as I also
mentioned earlier before, give responsibility, throw people
on deep water because you
learn it in two ways. Either manage to do
what you were supposed to do or you do a
(50:46):
mistake and that's fine but then learn
from the mistakes. So next time you are thrown into deep
water in a similar perspective, you know exactly
what to do and ah so trust
opportunities give people big tasks,
people grow to get larger tasks or
larger things to do or most
(51:06):
of people do then it's also important
to be open to take corrections. Is it family
wise or it's other places in the organization
because you always have to learn
things, you don't know anything you
still don't do when you are 55 or when you are
75. and also
be eager to learn from
(51:29):
everyone you meet. I
think that's, that's very important. And
also from was a people doing totally different
things from what you are doing. You always
have something to learn to put in perspective as
you can was a get in, get into your
system or your organization
(51:49):
and what they. From my
generation perspective I think it's important
to try to find
out and get the input from the
younger one of how they see things. What
can you use of how they see things to do things
different, do it better. Because
I'm sure that all the things we are
(52:12):
doing are not the right thing to do in a longer
perspective to get the input from someone that see
it on a total different engine
that this thing you can do much better
if you do it a little bit different.
so I think that's
a little bit short. And then in many ways maybe we
(52:32):
Norwegian have an advantage because we are used to a flat
structure and was a titles and
all these things is not that important. or at least
in our group it's not that important because it's
more down to people what you do, what knowledge you
have and what you can give
the company as employee and what you
(52:53):
hope you can develop yourself and
get new opportunities inside
the group to develop yourself as a
person. So that was a part of our
culture and I think that's very important and I
think that it was much better.
And I also think
it's always smart to have smarter people around
(53:15):
you than you are yourself because then you can just
sit there at the top and take all the
glance and do all the smart
things which you get half the credit
for.
>> Birgit Liodden (53:27):
That's fantastic. So that's why I have
bent
to wrap up very like in
short words, Noel is basically about growth,
mindset and reverse mentoring
really. And I think that's something that
applies also very well for corporates and
(53:47):
entrepreneurs among themselves to kind of
have this reversed mentoring perspective,
as we go into collaboration partnerships.
How about you bent recruiting onwards. I
mean you guys need a lot of great talents
in very many different roles. What are your
$0.05 towards like the talents and your
(54:08):
potential future colleagues out there?
>> Bent Martini (54:10):
I think it's extremely important as a
company to focus on
diversity, and
young people coming out from schools or What I
say is that if you are curious
you will come a long way. and I learned
from many years ago that because the old
(54:32):
kind of traditional leadership was that you would start to
try, you will try to create the young ones
in your Own picture, that
look that we have stopped with. That that's
good. So everyone needs to be allowed to be
themselves. because that is actually what we are
investing in is. Is the one
and. And the different persons, they have
(54:54):
to be allowed to be themselves and
really grow them
themselves are growing and then becoming
a part of a kind of a company and a culture and m.
Creating a culture. So for me it's like
we have today. 40% of all
employees are female. Female
leaders. 50, 50 in the
(55:16):
management. 50, 50 in the board of directors. We are
focusing on growing kind of top management on board of
vessels. More females. And the age
is from From 18 years
old to. To.
Yeah. Actually the oldest one working on board,
she is 76 years. And
(55:37):
why should she stop working as long as she
really would like to and are fit.
So But that's creating kind
of this atmosphere from the youngest one to the oldest
one, that they are sharing, they
are learning of each other. But most
of all everyone is curious
(55:57):
what is next? How can we develop together, how
can we actually create this
as a fantastic working arena.
and so it's not
a very easy question asked, but I think
curious, curious curiosity
is what is the drive? Is what's driving
(56:19):
each one of us.
>> Birgit Liodden (56:22):
If it wasn't ah, an easy question, at least it was
a great answer. I say
and for those that are curious to learn
more about the work in Havila Voyages,
I know that we will see you, Bent and
a few of your colleagues from the company
at Sea Trade in Miami,
(56:43):
April, so we're really looking forward to
that. And Bent will be part of
one of the power couple panels in the
sustainability theater. so we are
really looking forward to meeting live next
time around and I just wanted to
thank you guys so much for joining as
(57:03):
guests. You are among the first and hopefully
a growing movement of
owners and top executives and founders that
are joining forces, to
really show how. How amazing the cruise industry
is to work with, and how much can be
done when we start sharing
more the pioneering initiatives, the first
(57:26):
mover initiatives, inspiring our
colleagues and cross competitors, to also walk
the same path with us. So thank you so
much Noel and Bent, and looking forward to all of
you guys out there. Stay tuned.
>> Noel Sevik (57:40):
Thank you, thank you.
Today we are joined by two amazing guests
from one of the cruise pioneers in our sphere.
We have with us Noel Sevik, who is the
chair of Havilah holding and co owner of
Havilah Group, and Bent Martini, the
CEO of Havilah Voyages. And
today we're going to dive deep into
how a family owned group
(00:22):
is truly bringing their values
into life, with a broad range of
initiatives in the maritime sector and including
a true pioneer on more sustainable cruise
expeditions. So welcome
Njol and Ben, nice to have you with me.
>> Njål Sævik (00:41):
Thank you, nice to be here.
>> Birgit Liodden (00:43):
And we are here with you today
to talk about your pioneer commitment.
We have listed some of your initiatives in Havala
Voyages among our global overview
of cruise pioneers. And we are super
eager to hear a little bit more from you guys
personally about your high level targets
(01:04):
for emission free and waste free cruise
and how you are building the competitive edge for
future proof industry with your initiatives.
And of course here we are talking about real
action, not including carbon credits,
and we know that you guys, you have done a lot,
we are really looking forward to hear first from
(01:25):
you Njol, you are the second generation
owner of Havilah and hands
hm on in the operations and I would
love to hear and share with our audience how
your father paid, and your own
family values and your personal story and
background has been embedded both
(01:45):
when you started building up Kavila way back and
also how it's implemented into the current
journey of the group as a whole,
today.
>> Noel Sevik (01:54):
Thank you Bill. We're coming for a small
place on the west coast of Norway and started with
fisheries back or my granddad started with fisheries back
in the forest together with some friends.
Family was in fisheries until 81. Then
my father and one of my uncles went into offshore
and developed companies
(02:15):
or we are now an offshore company number four,
and also have diversified into
other prospects. But I
think one of the reason that Havila
Group here are where it is today is
that you used what I used to say, the fisherman
culture. You're eager to use technology,
you're eager to find opportunities and
(02:38):
you need to, you know, to get hard work
hard to get success and find the solutions.
And today the
Jose Havila holding values is for
progress and prosperity, administer what you
have been created over generation, refine and
create new values, establish
rewarding jobs and build communities.
(03:01):
and those values we try to use in the whole group
in all the businesses and
also would say with that
it's always looking for new
things to do that you also haven't done
before. So the last addition in the
group is actually our biogas plant which was
(03:21):
opened in November this
year. So that's nothing that the maritime to do
but It's something that someone or someone we
know have an idea and an opportunity which we jumped
on and that also I can bring back
to my father. And when he was a child. He was
six years old when he
(03:41):
or my grandmom didn't find him one
day and The rowboat was
gone from where it was staying.
In the afternoon he came back of course they were seeking
and was asking everyone if someone had seen him.
But what I did as a 6 year old guy I took this robot
crossed the fiord to the small city
across the island we live which is 1
(04:03):
nautical mile 1852
meter. So when he came back I know the
boat towed him back but when he came back my grandmother asked me why did
you do it? I just want to see if I could make
it. And I think that's something we. Which
is very describable also for.
>> Birgit Liodden (04:19):
For the group M. That's an
amazing story and it's also
I think it's very. It's very well
connected to basically the cruise innovators
we work with. I mean it's truly the
entrepreneurial spirit being kept alive in
many different ways all the way from. From
him as a six year old and to where you are today.
(04:42):
And Ben I wondered. I mean you have a. You have a
strong leader career in
the maritime and How
is it coming into a family owned
company like Havilah with very committed and
engaged owners and then bringing your own
values and hard courses
(05:02):
really into the journey of Havila
Voyages.
>> Bent Martini (05:06):
To be frank I think it was not
very difficult for me to actually fall in
into the kind of the thoughts and the
values and the
Ability to create willingness to
create willingness to
actually
Deliver something that actually
(05:29):
Give something back to the one thing is
to the nature and the commitment to the nature
and the people involved in the
company because Having a kind of
committed owners understanding what you really are
doing. Not only
financial instrument but also coming
into the operations that's
(05:51):
so fantastic for all
actually working in Havila Voyages is Having
owners that really do understand this business and to
understand What it means to actually create
and build up Such a company.
>> Birgit Liodden (06:06):
and can you tell me Ben, what are the
key ambitions and targets for Javier La Voya?
Just to explain that to our listeners and viewers out
there when it comes to moving us
towards an emission free and waste free
future.
>> Bent Martini (06:21):
Yeah I think the only
actually two sentences that
Pair Savik, and the family actually gave me when
I started this is pair
have said that we are sailing in the world
heritage. so should the generation to
come be able to do,
meaning that we have
(06:43):
a, we have a
task to actually whatever we are
doing, we should do it and
take care of the nature.
and looking at
one thing is to build vessels, believing in
technology, choosing technology, that is
(07:03):
something of course extremely
difficult when you are investing four or five
hundred million dollars in building Vess,
looking ten years ahead. What will be the,
what, what really will be the technology out
there and how should you do that? And then you also
have to invest in the people, you have to build up the
(07:24):
people and create kind
of the DNA in a company that
actually should move the company forward.
should you be able to do that? Everyone needs to believe
and it starts with the top. The
owners need to be committed and
we in the management need to be committed.
(07:45):
And then as long as we walk the talk, we
actually will be able to
deliver something. And with the ambitions this
company have, with the owners
support of course we have
moved this industry
far what it comes to
kind of the technology on the environmental side
(08:08):
is one thing, but also the concepts we are
operating on board with the food
waste focus on reducing the food
waste, circular economy in all
aspects of the operations. That's extremely
important for us. So whatever we are doing should
start with the ambitions of sustainable
operation. And that is supported by the owners. And I
(08:31):
have a slogan and that is try a little, learn a lot
because try it out. Don't
wait to get kind of instructions or
whatever because those that
people that are working on board the vessels, they are
out there every day they see solutions.
Try it out and share,
learn from it, share don't be afraid to do
(08:53):
small errors. That's okay because that's the only
way we can learn. If you look at all
the aspects of operating such
vessels having unique
ambitions in moving forward,
then we will do errors, but we have to
learn from it and share and then we will
just grow and
(09:15):
develop together. So for
me coming from many, many years in the
deep sea, where we also have a
fantastic focus on safety and
environmental side. coming into this,
being allowed to actually grow together
with everyone else. supported
by a family with a fantastic
(09:37):
ambition. their legacy
is I think will be that they
were those that actually moved this
industry with their investments and their belief
in sustainable operations.
>> Birgit Liodden (09:51):
Thank you Ben and Njool.
I mean this is I think really great to
listen how Ben describes your group and the
family ownership in this. and I mean
you're quite new on the coastal route
and this more like the expedition cruise
operations. But as I recall
(10:12):
this builds into a more
holistic approach on working towards an
emission free, waste free industry. And can you
share a little bit more with us? Because I mean Haviland
Voyages is more kind of one
part of sort of an ecosystem
of operations and solutions
and companies within your group.
(10:35):
Can you talk a little bit more about what
else is it that group has
its fingers and ambitions into in order to
drive this green transition for all of
us.
>> Noel Sevik (10:48):
Of course it started actually with
offshore, which offshore less low is also working
in renewable. So but it started there the driving
forces, and also I would say booming time from
07 until 12 where you
did a lot of the easy things. Technology, device
and also human wise. we was
(11:08):
also looking to sitting on as
a majority shareholder in
a ferry company which was
sold last year, then had
80 more or less 80 ferries
where from 2013 till
we sold half of them was
being electrical.
(11:31):
so then also when we would say
decided and was lucky enough to be able
to do the Havilah Boyegas, of course you try to
use the knowledge you have learned the technology
and develop that into
those. and of course our
knowledge is about or have been
about operating in ships.
(11:52):
So we felt we had control there and
it was willing and eager to
also use the
2018 technology to be the
best in that because that's also something you learn
and a little bit back again to the fishermen
culture. and also what you are seeing when the
offshore was booming. I'm not sure if all projects that
(12:15):
have been realized are really fitted into
Excel sheets because as long as you believe in
technology, you are willing to
put some money into it and take the risk that it would
work because you know that it will give
you an advantage if does.
And that of course in combined with a lot of
(12:36):
majority suppliers which
are also on the same
foot give an advantage.
and that's something from our perspective
is very important to be successful in business.
but of course the most important thing that's
people. It's always known to people
(12:56):
and that's from the top to the last man.
And there I think we have a culture which is very
good. As Ben said, give
input, do things and not
even do mistakes because everyone do
mistakes small and big, but learn from your mistakes.
That's also more or less saying
(13:16):
we have in our group in all the
companies do things.
It's much better to do things and don't do it wrong
than sit there and do nothing and hope it's
go in the direction you want it to do.
And of course then you need to
also when you move m into things you don't know
anything about or more or less do not anything about,
(13:38):
you also need to connect with people that can
give you the knowledge and be supportive to
you. And of course we also
own three hotels. so you can
say but it's different to run a hotel in Gyrangar, to do
it on a ship visiting the Geirong Fjord.
So but we try
to put the knowledge together in the whole group
(14:01):
and use it where it can be used.
and m let everyone know
what's going on and also as much as possible
and also let the other companies,
even those you don't think have any knowledge to get
out from voyages but if they know that that is going
on, maybe someone that you haven't thought about can say
(14:22):
oh not the full picture of that but a small part of
it I can use in my business to do it better
or more environmental friendly.
So it's about
combination available technology and knowledge
and also try to seek for new
things to do to do it better and more environmentally
friendly. That's a little bit
(14:44):
in our bone to use that word.
Definitely.
>> Birgit Liodden (14:47):
And you have of course you have had a
very interesting first
mover initiative on batteries with I think
Corvus. and
I hear word on the street says that you do a lot
focus also on the hydrogen value chain. Can you talk
a little bit more about
(15:07):
your path basically in Havilah
towards the green transition.
>> Noel Sevik (15:12):
Yeah the battery was obvious because that
was, was available and something that you could do
and when the vessels was delivered that was the largest battery
pack in the world. But
we also saw that when this was done there
was several other
technologies being discussed as what say the
green future for fuel.
(15:35):
amongst those hydrogen. So hof
Design together with Sintef
got a pilot to develop
we'll say a hydrogen project on the Havil
avoided as vessel which which is now done and
so so in place also would say
can can be done. but as always
(15:56):
it's Was it two things with moving into new things
like that and that's one thing is the technology and be able
to do it on the ship. And the second thing is was the
infrastructure. Get availability of
hydrogen, get acceptance
for it, get authorities,
customers, everyone else involved.
(16:17):
ah and of course it's down to
financials and
we also today as long as there are
enough biogas available we can change that.
Tomorrow we can start using biogas and then
more or less be CO2 emission free
or emission natural.
(16:39):
But of course that cost extra m money and
Yeah as long someone need to take
that extra cost. And
we have said that we can take some of it and
also challenge others to be part
to develop that. But we haven't been successful so
far on that m. Thank
(17:00):
you.
>> Birgit Liodden (17:01):
And that brings us really into the kind
of next stage. I mean because you have very strong
and bold and clear commitments. and
I'm very curious to hear about the progress that you're
making. Where are you ahead of your targets and
where is it in which areas is it that you really experience
the most challenging bottlenecks when it comes to
(17:21):
delivering the group and the Havilah
voyages, ambitions and commitments.
Do you have some good examples?
>> Noel Sevik (17:29):
I think if we start with the villa voyages I think we are a
little bit ahead of schedule on the total picture.
Some is above Ben can maybe say more in
details about it. the offshore
renewable side of things we are more or less on target.
We have said internally but again we did
a lot of what say the easy things until
(17:49):
2018, 2020. So now it's real
hard work to do. Yeah it's
hard work and day to day work. We have
what say was early out to
optimalimize to get control of fuel
consumption and all these things. And also a system that we can follow
that on an hour by hour basis at
office if we want to. But
(18:11):
it's much down to the
small things, down to people and how you do things on board and do
it a little bit smarter. and then my
challenge on the offshore renewable side
is that you see that vessels working in the North Sea
you have high acceptance and
a target together with your clients. But when you
(18:32):
get outside The North Sea, it's different rules
and ambitions on this. and as
long as then your client is
deciding operation and if
it's safe to run with four or six engines,
it's not only done to us. So that's another
perspective you need to take into consideration.
(18:54):
we have seen on the Havilah voyages vessels
that when people start learning the
vessels LNG
consumption have been going down quite
rapidly from the start. All these other
things which have been targeted had more or less been met,
all of them I think. And then it's of course don't
to start to be more ambitious and
(19:16):
stretch it a little bit longer than you had as a plan
in the beginning. But for the group
on the what say vessel side, we
are following the ambitions which both the Ship Owners
association have and most of the other shipping
companies today have. but
we probably see that the
(19:36):
2030 targets, they will be hard to
reach, especially on the offshore
side because Yeah, some of those things
that was thought going to happen when you set
as ambitions 20, 21,
22 haven't happened.
>> Birgit Liodden (19:51):
Thank you. I'm bent on your
side more in depth into voyages.
you have I think ships that are hydrogen
ready so to say, where
do you have bottlenecks and what has really been
the challenges operational?
>> Bent Martini (20:09):
Ah, we have as also
mentioned by the project, ah
actually since 2018, which we post last
year that is developing
concept with running these vessels
on hydrogen and the vessels are prepared
for running on hydrogen. and we also have a
(20:29):
pre approval from the Norwegian Maritime
Directorate and the NVSA Class Society
to do that. so whether we,
we can do hydrogen, we can do
ammonia. I think
the big question is rather what will
be the requirements or the
(20:51):
regulations by the Norwegian government in the
next concession along the. If
you look at the coastal route, because
the cost of hydrogen versus LNG
or biogas is much higher. so
the start starting point there is How
do you actually commercialize hydrogen
(21:12):
in this business. we have a great
cooperation with companies
now actually have been
they have received money from the Norwegian government or
by NOVA to invest in
hydrogen plants.
so we have kind of a very good
(21:34):
solution if you look at the distribution of hydrogen
without kind of having to invest in
infrastructure for the Norwegian government. so we can
actually be self supported along the Norwegian coast
with hydrogen meaning that we can Save
zero emission, along the Norwegian
coast. Our vessels are prepared. We
(21:55):
can sail with biogas
today in combination with the battery packages.
We are klima neutral.
we have reduced the CO2 by
35 to 40%, up to now
compared to the figures, or
the requirements in the contract with the government.
(22:16):
That's compared to similar vessels running on
diesel. So we have done a lot so
far. But our ambitions is that we by
2028 should be climate neutral, meaning that
we will start blending in biogas
already next year. and
then by 2028
(22:36):
be climate neutral, and by
2030, zero emission ready.
Meaning that when we enter into the new concession,
if the Norwegian government put that as a
requirement, we are already
ready to sail these vessels,
zero emission. And we also have other projects
(22:57):
running now. meaning that we
can catch the CO2, in the
LNG. that is also a potential for us
to continue running on LNG. But
we will catch the CO2
and methane, and then
we are zero emission also,
(23:18):
in that respect. So. Meaning that we are working
with different
technologies, and prepared actually
for different technologies with the vessels we have
today. So,
when I see that all others,
they are just talking about the challenges
and the troubles, we have the solutions, we are
(23:40):
ready. Ah, and we will also by
2030, triple the
capacity, on the battery packages. the technology
of battery are extremely
positive, developing fast.
So compared to 2021
when we got delivered the biggest
(24:01):
battery package in the world, 6.1 megawatt on board
such a vessel in 2030 or
actually tomorrow we could have this tripled,
at the same weight. Yeah. So in
2030 at least triple,
maybe higher capacity.
So I think if you look at the
bottlenecks, that is,
(24:25):
I think the regulators, they need to
really deliver on the ambitions.
You cannot just like they did with the World
Heritage fjords in Norway, just change
regulations because someone is complaining,
someone is not doing their job. We were
ready, we sailed the World Heritage fjords.
(24:45):
Zero emissions already four years
ahead of 2026, which was
the ambitions for the
Norwegian government. now they have changed that to
2032, which is
crazy. It's a scandal. if you look at
the, you cannot, you cannot blame
the technology. The technology is there. This
(25:07):
is more kind of the willingness, for those out there to
invest and do the job.
>> Birgit Liodden (25:13):
And that's so interesting. I think
as we Are having a very clear
target with cruise pioneers podcast of also reaching
out to the outside world and talents that
are eager to be part of changing
society. I mean it's quite
ironic that we actually see this
(25:35):
amazing case where business is ready and
waiting for the government. Ah so I think this is
also a A huge opportunity for any young
listeners out there. The talents you know make
your voices heard and actually get out there
towards towards our politicians and those that are making
the decisions in society as well. I think
(25:55):
this is really you know the a
huge growth now of young people who
wants to work with creating a
green footprint and spending their lives being
part of solving huge challenges.
And I think well one thing is that the
industries and the business sector says
that we are ready to go but I think then the
(26:18):
young generation can also make a huge impact
towards their politicians in pushing
them on standing firmly and
committed to what they have set out for.
And I also then wondered because of
course you are working with
very complex issues and I think
(26:39):
Moving us towards 2030 of course the
hot potato and the hot topic out
there all over cruise and in the maritime sector is
really also how can we capitalize, how can we
find solutions and implement solutions on
existing fleet and ships that will enable
us to take down emissions while we are waiting
for the new and completely clean technologies.
(27:02):
And that really brings us into
the of power couples
that this series is really all about.
we dive into these power couple
dynamics where one larger
player targets is the other smaller actors
business case across the value chain.
And It was just mentioned that you work
(27:25):
with Corvus on batteries with half design on
the fuel cells. do you have other
good cases
where the group has worked proactively
with entrepreneurs and smaller
innovators in really
moving your
actions and the progress in the group
(27:47):
in a different way because you work in the mix
of corporate startup corporate
innovator that you could share with our audience
Niol like to start with you.
>> Noel Sevik (28:01):
We have a lot of small and larger projects going on
all the time time and try to develop and
and
it's also a little bit about was it using
the small things like cleaning
hulls which know what we are doing on both
OSHA vessels and on on on the Chester
or the voyages vessels which give you
(28:23):
some percentages if you do it regularly on fuel
consumption. so. So there
Is an agreement in place to also use one small
companies with robots cleaning the house
now and then. And it's
also. So it's a combination of doing what's
these small things together with the larger
(28:43):
things that you're going to do tomorrow. And
as I also probably said before,
achieve to take the small things today
and then also work with the largest,
largest things, things that need to be done for what say the
new new tender or to do tomorrow
or if you're going to do a or a new build in the
(29:04):
subsea renewable side of things. And
then it's a little bit down to if
you would say gonna push that. But six months
from now or 12 months from now, what technology is available
to them already and what do
you think would be available during the building period
which you can build and what, and what can you prepare for
(29:24):
what's a delivery further forward.
So excuse
me. So it's all about what they
have these dialogues with various parties and
we'll say open, to also change that if
you start a route and after 12 months
or 18 months find out it's probably not
what it's going to be because
(29:47):
a competitor or a similar product with.
But this much better have come up. You also need to
be able to say okay sorry, it was very nice to
work with you and your idea as a grammer but
unfortunately.
There was someone else with much better
things. And of course it's also been more
challenging in the past
(30:10):
because everything is changing faster on
a general basis. Also new
technology and I
also think we as a
maritime industry have a lot to
learn to start using
AE and other things that we
don't know much about but should learn us
(30:32):
how to use it in our business
with focus on how to use
it not to revolution the world,
but how can we use that to
optimalize our operations, be even
more environmentally friendlier and all these things.
Because the maritime industry is normally quite
(30:53):
conservative and
we try to be one of those which is not
conservative. But there are things
that I don't know a lot about that is I think we need
to in one way or another try to bring into our
group to use to make us even
more innovative than we are today.
>> Birgit Liodden (31:13):
Yeah. And Ben, do you have some good
examples of where there are very clear
advantages of strengthening your
own kind of superpower, on your
innovations by working with entrepreneurs and
smaller innovators. Do you have some good cases
there?
>> Bent Martini (31:30):
Yeah, maybe. one of the things I'm Really
proud of is if you look at
sustainable operations and our focus on
food waste where we partnered up with one of
the kind of high standing chefs
in Norway. He was
a trainer for the Olympic Games, or
(31:50):
Olympic team
making food. And the task
was food waste, reduce food waste
but keep the high standard. Standard
of the food. And we ended up with kind of the
concept we have today where people feel that
this is just coming into a high
(32:11):
standing fine dining and
still we have reduced with only our four
vessels we have reducing the food
waste by 70 tons a year
compared to the same type of
operation on this route.
and that is fantastic. Which is
(32:31):
The best restaurants in the world are not able to do
that. so this is something
fantastic as I see it
and operating these
vessels like yes you have a hotel,
you have a passenger ferry, you have cargo
(32:52):
vessel. because this is a very complex
operation in so to speak. and
whatever we are talking about when it comes to
environmental issues, operating
vessels that's about energy,
and consuming energy. and
a huge hotel. This is four of the biggest
hotels in Norway sailing along the Norwegian
(33:15):
and so all consumers on board
we need to have control of. We need to.
Everyone working on board the vessel needs to have kind of
a focus on using the
energy. But in order to help
them we need to have an
integrator. How do you
(33:35):
actually have control of all
consumers? how do you help
each and one and the management on board to actually
govern this? and then we have a
company Norway Norwegian Electric Systems that actually
took that kind of challenge to
integrate to develop the
(33:55):
integrator. and that is. I don't
think anyone have done that before because
if you look at all the makers out there they would like
to own their kind of integrator
themselves. But on our
vessels Norwegian ah electric systems have
the overall control as an integrator
(34:15):
meaning that we have control and that
is a small company in Norway
actually doing that. and I think that
is something of course helping us a
lot. But also if you look
at the small companies in
Norway developing this
(34:36):
enable also them to go out in the world actually
to help others out there. And I know
that Yeah.
>> Birgit Liodden (34:43):
So would you say this gives a cruise ship kind of
smart house capabilities?
>> Bent Martini (34:48):
Absolutely. that's the correct
wording. That's a smart house capability.
and it is not necessarily that
huge investments, but
you need to do it. You need to dare to do it.
And if you look at all the vessels out
there, if they
(35:09):
really focus on the consumers on board a vessel,
there's a lot of money to save, but it will
have a huge impact on the environmental
issues and reducing the emissions.
So it's a, But. But I think it's It's
a fight, internally, with a lot of
the big makers, the need
(35:29):
to actually
accept that someone needs to
be the integrator. and
really in order for us to get
control of energy consumption, we need
help. And
that is one of the big issues. My
(35:51):
concerns when we also when in
other companies are perverted, is that how do you actually
get control? I can
say that we have control, but we can develop it even
further. And that is what we are doing every day.
So last year, first,
half last year we reduced consumption,
(36:12):
with the vessels with 18%,
1 8%, just
in working with the crew, working with
the people on board in how to actually
optimize.
>> Birgit Liodden (36:24):
Wow.
>> Bent Martini (36:25):
So that is extremely,
And I wouldn't say that we, before we
started on that project, was bad. But
after the project maybe we were bad. But
it creates kind of a huge motivation for the
people on board is kind of a
(36:45):
healthy competition. It's a healthy day discussing
each with each other, vessel to vessel,
shift to shift. And they really.
It's a, They're very focused on this, in. And then of
course in all aspects on board. When you are running
the vessel into the World Heritage fjords or all
other ports and areas where we are
(37:06):
sailing with zero emissions.
Of course, everyone understand what to do.
If you are a chef, you know that you
need to have finished the
meals, before you enter the World Heritage
Fjord, because
suddenly you will not have any
energy in the In the galley.
>> Birgit Liodden (37:29):
Exactly. And so
when we kind of basically
visually move into the Heritage fjords, I
mean we've been talking about
the food waste programs, the
energy, the whole green transition.
I wanted to hear from you
(37:49):
about your unresolved pain points. So
I asked you to share with us and
the audience one additional area where you have
commitments and where you are interested in
partnering up with entrepreneurs to power
couple for radical solutions. And then I'm looking you
know, more towards what other, what
other pollution into the. To
(38:12):
the fjords, that can be avoided. And also
the part of kind of the local footprint,
the experience and the integration and the.
The involvement with the local
communities, the very small communities that you
visit en route ne.
I can start with you if you have some parts.
>> Noel Sevik (38:32):
No, yeah, forgot a little bit that
one.
But of course it's
as I say and also we have in our values
communities is important for us. And when we have it in our
values, it's more or less the community where we are born
and based and Everything. But of course on the
(38:53):
Havilah voyages you are visiting so many
ports. There are so many
suppliers, people that want to
say get a living of what you are
doing. And that's also for the
group local suppliers, local
people. We want to involve
the communities around the coast
(39:16):
because this is not only about
for us earning money or be the best in
class. It's about the Norwegian community
and the coastal community. And also
with everything going on in the world
at the moment and the geopolitical
situation, this is important
as well that
(39:39):
on the Havilah voyages vessels that they are following
on and look into things that is not
normal, especially up north,
but it's going on all around the
coast. So we are
there to be facilitators
to develop the small communities around the
coast with our businesses and give people
(40:01):
opportunities to make business on our
business. And
that's important for us. And also what as I said, a
part of the value because that's how we
have developed the community where
we are based. I said
several times that when you. From
(40:22):
2010 to 2014 you built
a hotel, concert hall
and a large swimming pool
area with several pools for
at that stage approximately 450 million in
a community that are living around
10,000 people. If you ask a hedge fund
(40:43):
guy in London or New York if that's reasonable
spent money, they will say you are crazy.
But that was done together with
M. The
commune and the
business development. So
we are in our bone that we
(41:04):
need to develop the societies that we are part
of to give it be and
give it and let it be an attractive
place to live. And that's also
something we have after we went in the voyage
try to develop on all these places you are
visiting around the coast. And then maybe Ben can give
some more color on it.
>> Birgit Liodden (41:26):
Yes, thank you. And Ben, I heard some
rumors that you are in a
progress of sort of reinventing your
Eco Voyager program. Can you
elaborate on how can this bring opportunities
for various type of entrepreneurs in the value
chain and you know, what are the
(41:46):
typical examples of innovators and
entrepreneurs that would be in your
scope? along the coast.
>> Bent Martini (41:54):
Yeah, of course the
Havila Voyages or the coastal route is a part of the kind
of Norwegian critical infrastructure like
visiting 34 ports from Bergen to Keithnaz
and 30 three ports back. we are always
there. If you look at the Havilah
voyages We have about 600 employees
(42:15):
but we are creating ah additional
3000 employees along the Norwegian
coast. Local in the local
communities. meaning that what we are
consuming on board, the food we are buying
locally. So we are creating value
locally.
and if you look at the
(42:38):
and of course that's about having focus
on kind of the short distance delivery of food.
but creating value locally is
extremely important for us with the
concepts we have, with the food focus
that creates also new opportunities for the
local delivery. kind of if it's
a small farm or whatever,
(43:01):
fish farm, they will kind
of also change their way of operating. When we
are talking about sustainable operations,
whether it's excursions ashore,
we have about 70 excursions along the
coast. delivering
those excursions. Excursions have to deliver those
(43:21):
in a sustainable way. and
that's about our Eco
Voyager program. Also when you are
traveling with us, the excursions
you should do, which we presented to
the, to the guests. of course
they need to be green also. so
(43:41):
for example,
if you look at
different kind of if it's buses
it could be ATVs or whatever they are using
on those questions, they are not kind
of run by diesel or gas. They are
run by electrification or
(44:03):
biogas. So that's kind of
a part of it. and of course we are working
together with those locally to
develop new type of
products. Whether that is products that we
keep on board, sell on board
or they provide for us
ashore when our guests are coming, ashore.
(44:26):
So the point here is that we would like
our guests to be very much aware
of what kind of local community
are you visiting. what can you do when you're
going ashore? what should you have
focus on also when it comes to the taking
care of the local environment. and how can
we put value back to the local
(44:49):
societies when our guests are there?
so we have to kind of
give back when we are sailing along the
Norwegian coast, whether that is to have some Guests
or our crew ashore to clean
the shoreline.
that's of course concepts we are doing.
But most of all when people are
(45:11):
there, they need to
understand the locals. and the
locals kind of have
to feel that they're getting something back when we are doing
this. so, but it
takes time to actually build this up. and that
will be the main focus going forward
now on the ecoboy program
(45:34):
from whatever you are doing on board as a
guest that you actually are invited
in to our
DNA to understand our DNA, how we
actually would like to, Why
should you actually, save
energy on board? How can you do it?
how have you prepared the vessel to save energy?
(45:57):
and that journey?
and what we see that a lot of the guests
coming, they are choosing us
because of the
sustainable operations. they are very
focused, they have a lot of questions when they are
coming. and of course we are not afraid to show
them. And that is also part of what giving back
(46:19):
is that why shouldn't you be allowed to
see the vessel and see the inside of the
vessel? this is kind of
what is actually creating this. And
I don't think that is kind of. That's not
ordinary. When we are
taking guests up to the bridge, the
captain can explain for
(46:41):
them what is happening.
and other areas on board is
also, when, when.
When it's potentially possible we are opening up
and showing the guests. This is actually,
this is actually the systems. So, So.
So it's a kind of,
(47:03):
not. Not kind of a school class.
>> Birgit Liodden (47:04):
But we have actually, we have talked about
that in, in our first episode and we will continue
to, to bring that message out there. because I think
that working with bringing
Cruise into a more sustainable era and
future is really an
amazing opportunity to bring people
into a mindset transition
(47:27):
experience. Because you can use the cruise ship and the
whole experience for the crew and the
passengers, to really
experience this kind of floating test. But
of journey into the future, if you
do it right, that can truly enable people
to bring back a new mindset,
new perspectives, reconnect,
(47:49):
them closer with nature and local
societies in a different way than you know,
regardless where they come from, big cities around the
world, if they live by the sea or
not. And, and that really brings us over
to my last question, to you. That
goes out to all of the talents out there because
Citrine has a strong focus
(48:11):
on what we call the tomorrow's talents
today. and Both of you have
touched upon this. I mean we all need great
humans on board with us to build a future of
cruise and I wanted to hear
some slightly different perspectives with your
personal hacks, advice to talents
and other industry colleagues or to
(48:33):
share a specific mindset or skill set that you
consider key for talents who are
eager to join the cruise pioneer
movement with us. And I wanted
to split it a little bit differently
with first the owner and founder's perspective from
you new all because we generally ask
about advice and insight to general
(48:56):
talents. But of course for you I would also love to
hear your reflections
and advice to established and next
generation owners. how can the
seniors make more room for the new generation of
owners and how can the next
generation come in and build the
(49:16):
values and vision of the founder of the previous
generation to create this changing environment,
making it their own. and how can this
also be something that truly can
inspire the founders of today
by sharing this mindset and
long term thinking from those that have
built companies before them.
>> Noel Sevik (49:38):
I think first of all it's
important to give opportunities. That's even if it's what's
the next generation or if it's someone
coming into organization that they need
to be given opportunities, they need
to be given
roles that give them a meaningful
day at work or to
(50:01):
do and do every day.
And I
think it's always difficult working between
generations that some or at least
from my point of view it's something that
we used sometimes to find the
roles between ourselves when I
start working ashore. but
(50:24):
I think that's possible as long as you have an open dialogue and
also what say find the various
way
you need to give trust as I also
mentioned earlier before, give responsibility, throw people
on deep water because you
learn it in two ways. Either manage to do
what you were supposed to do or you do a
(50:46):
mistake and that's fine but then learn
from the mistakes. So next time you are thrown into deep
water in a similar perspective, you know exactly
what to do and ah so trust
opportunities give people big tasks,
people grow to get larger tasks or
larger things to do or most
(51:06):
of people do then it's also important
to be open to take corrections. Is it family
wise or it's other places in the organization
because you always have to learn
things, you don't know anything you
still don't do when you are 55 or when you are
75. and also
be eager to learn from
(51:29):
everyone you meet. I
think that's, that's very important. And
also from was a people doing totally different
things from what you are doing. You always
have something to learn to put in perspective as
you can was a get in, get into your
system or your organization
(51:49):
and what they. From my
generation perspective I think it's important
to try to find
out and get the input from the
younger one of how they see things. What
can you use of how they see things to do things
different, do it better. Because
I'm sure that all the things we are
(52:12):
doing are not the right thing to do in a longer
perspective to get the input from someone that see
it on a total different engine
that this thing you can do much better
if you do it a little bit different.
so I think that's
a little bit short. And then in many ways maybe we
(52:32):
Norwegian have an advantage because we are used to a flat
structure and was a titles and
all these things is not that important. or at least
in our group it's not that important because it's
more down to people what you do, what knowledge you
have and what you can give
the company as employee and what you
(52:53):
hope you can develop yourself and
get new opportunities inside
the group to develop yourself as a
person. So that was a part of our
culture and I think that's very important and I
think that it was much better.
And I also think
it's always smart to have smarter people around
(53:15):
you than you are yourself because then you can just
sit there at the top and take all the
glance and do all the smart
things which you get half the credit
for.
>> Birgit Liodden (53:27):
That's fantastic. So that's why I have
bent
to wrap up very like in
short words, Noel is basically about growth,
mindset and reverse mentoring
really. And I think that's something that
applies also very well for corporates and
(53:47):
entrepreneurs among themselves to kind of
have this reversed mentoring perspective,
as we go into collaboration partnerships.
How about you bent recruiting onwards. I
mean you guys need a lot of great talents
in very many different roles. What are your
$0.05 towards like the talents and your
(54:08):
potential future colleagues out there?
>> Bent Martini (54:10):
I think it's extremely important as a
company to focus on
diversity, and
young people coming out from schools or What I
say is that if you are curious
you will come a long way. and I learned
from many years ago that because the old
(54:32):
kind of traditional leadership was that you would start to
try, you will try to create the young ones
in your Own picture, that
look that we have stopped with. That that's
good. So everyone needs to be allowed to be
themselves. because that is actually what we are
investing in is. Is the one
and. And the different persons, they have
(54:54):
to be allowed to be themselves and
really grow them
themselves are growing and then becoming
a part of a kind of a company and a culture and m.
Creating a culture. So for me it's like
we have today. 40% of all
employees are female. Female
leaders. 50, 50 in the
(55:16):
management. 50, 50 in the board of directors. We are
focusing on growing kind of top management on board of
vessels. More females. And the age
is from From 18 years
old to. To.
Yeah. Actually the oldest one working on board,
she is 76 years. And
(55:37):
why should she stop working as long as she
really would like to and are fit.
So But that's creating kind
of this atmosphere from the youngest one to the oldest
one, that they are sharing, they
are learning of each other. But most
of all everyone is curious
(55:57):
what is next? How can we develop together, how
can we actually create this
as a fantastic working arena.
and so it's not
a very easy question asked, but I think
curious, curious curiosity
is what is the drive? Is what's driving
(56:19):
each one of us.
>> Birgit Liodden (56:22):
If it wasn't ah, an easy question, at least it was
a great answer. I say
and for those that are curious to learn
more about the work in Havila Voyages,
I know that we will see you, Bent and
a few of your colleagues from the company
at Sea Trade in Miami,
(56:43):
April, so we're really looking forward to
that. And Bent will be part of
one of the power couple panels in the
sustainability theater. so we are
really looking forward to meeting live next
time around and I just wanted to
thank you guys so much for joining as
(57:03):
guests. You are among the first and hopefully
a growing movement of
owners and top executives and founders that
are joining forces, to
really show how. How amazing the cruise industry
is to work with, and how much can be
done when we start sharing
more the pioneering initiatives, the first
(57:26):
mover initiatives, inspiring our
colleagues and cross competitors, to also walk
the same path with us. So thank you so
much Noel and Bent, and looking forward to all of
you guys out there. Stay tuned.
>> Noel Sevik (57:40):
Thank you, thank you.
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