The industry has to do the bulk of the work to dig its way to recovery, Prime Minister of Norway today said.
Speaking to Energy Voice as this year’s ONS Conference, Erna Solberg said leading a sector through crisis was about establishing clear roles for both government and industry.
“The industry themselves have to do most of the work,” she said.
“This about competitiveness. It’s about making sure that you invest enough in research and development, so you are competitive in the way you do your production systems.”
The aftershocks have of low oil price have been widespread, according to the political leader.
“We have all been hurt very much by the fall in the oil and gas prices. We have been lead into lower costs, not just on laying off people, but also on how do you do the extra new products and projects. How do you build them? Can you be more efficient in any way?”
Answering those questions is the sector’s priority, Solberg said.
“That’s the businesses’ responsibility,” she added.
“My governmental responsibility is to have predictable energy policies, so that investments are done without the feeling of insecurity because of political decisions.
“And the second is to invest in education. And participate in educating people about the business. “
This includes freeing up funds for research and development and targeting the next generation of innovators with a clear message – the industry is still worth pursuing.
The Prime Minister added: “This is an oil and gas business, which will continue to provide good jobs. It will continue to probably hire more people in the future, be an interesting area of work, continue to break new frontlines on technology and in the production systems and everything that means for the Norwegian society.”
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