Menon recently presented the findings of this year’s cluster analysis at the GCE Blue Maritimes annual conference in Ålesund. The report documents how the maritime cluster in Møre og Romsdal has developed in recent years and how the cluster has performed compared to competitors in Norway and abroad. It also provides estimates of expected trends in 2017 and a outlook for next year. The report shows that 2017 will be another difficult year for the cluster. 2017 is thus the third consecutive year of declining activity and profitability. Since 2015, value creation has fallen by almost 40 percent, and one in five employees have left the world-leading cluster.

At the same time, the analysis shows that there are some positive signs in the horizon. Over the past two years, the cluster has shown an impressive ability to change. During the last two years, the cluster has shifted its market focus and positioned itself in growing markets in both maritime tourism (cruise and passenger freight), fisheries and aquaculture. In terms of markets, the cluster is probably more diversified in 2017 than ever before.