The North Sea University Partnership has the pleasure of inviting you to our event
North Sea: Working together on Energy, Green Transition & Security.
Place: Norway House, Rue Archimède 17, Brussels
Time: 20 November 09.00 – 16.15
followed by a networking reception at the British Residence
Join in the conversation:
How can we provide energy security to Europe while improving biodiversity in and around the North Sea? Join us at the first event organised by the North Sea University Partnership to hear more. The event brings together participants from academia, policy and industry to highlight the importance of the North Sea for Europe’s green transition and future energy security.
We will be joined by Ms. Veronica Manfredi, Director of Zero Pollution, Water Resilience & Green Urban Transition in DG Environment, European Commission, as well as by Ambassador Lindsay Croisdale-Appleby, Ambassador Jørn Gloslie, Vice-Chancellor Karen O’Brien, Rector Margareth Hagen, and representatives from academia, policy and industry. The programme will also include a live demonstration of subsurface CO2 injection!
| DAY 1 Conference – 20 November 2025 | ||
| Time | Theme | |
| 08.30 – 09.00 | Registration and coffee | |
| 09.00-09.30 | Welcome and intro to NSUP collaboration Karen O’Brien, Vice-Chancellor and Warden, Durham University Margareth Hagen, Rector, University of Bergen Jørn Gloslie, Ambassador of Norway to Belgium and Deputy Head of the Mission of Norway to the EU Lindsay Croisdale-Appleby, UK Ambassador to the EU and Head of the UK Mission to the EU | |
| 09.30-09.45 | Keynote Speech Veronica Manfredi, Director of Zero Pollution, Water Resilience & Green Urban Transition in DG Environment, European Commission | |
| 09.45-10.15 | Panel: North Sea Research and Innovation – a strategic crossroads for energy, sustainability, culture, and security Chaired by Øystein Lund, Counsellor for Research and Education. Royal Norwegian Embassy in London Nigel Harkness, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Newcastle University Claire O’Malley, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Global, Durham University Tor Grande, Rector, Norwegian University of Science and Technology – NTNU | |
| 10.15-11.00 | Live demonstration of FluidFlower Geir Terje Eigestad, Subsurface Manager, Harbour Energy Kristoffer Eikehaug, Engineer, University of Bergen | |
| 11.00-11.30 | Break | |
| 11.30-12.30 | Resilience for a Net Zero North Sea Ruud Kempener, Deputy Head of Unit DG ENER, European Commission Juljius Grubliauskas, Energy Security Officer, NATO Marianne Zeyringer, Professor, University of Oslo Haris Patsios, Professor, Newcastle University Chaired by Richard Dawson, Professor, Newcastle University and Hossein Farahmand, Professor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology – NTNU | |
| 12.30-13.30 | Lunch | |
| 13.30-14.30 | North Sea Conservation and Heritage Giuliana De Francesco, Policy officer DG RTD, European Commission Luke Gooding, Research Associate, Stockholm Environment Institute. University of York Caitlin Ellis, Associate Professor, University of Oslo Helen Wilson, Professor, Durham University Chaired by Simone Abram, Professor, Durham University and Vebjørn Bakken, Director UiO:Energy and Environment, University of Oslo | |
| 14.30-14.45 | Break | |
| 14.45-15.45 | Transitioning the North Sea — from oil & gas basin to a low-carbon multi-use hub Kjetil Visnes, Vice president for Norway Energy Hub in Development and Production Norway, Equinor Mattia Cecchinato, Offshore Wind Manager, WindEurope Ignacio Anchustegui, Professor, University of Bergen Sai Ma, Research Fellow, University of Leeds Chaired by Kristine Spildo, Professor, University of Bergen and James van Alstine, Associate Professor, University of Leeds | |
| 15.45-16.15 | Reflections and thank you Dag Rune Olsen, Rector, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway Shearer West, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Leeds | |
| 17:00-19:00 | Reception at the UK ambassador’s official residence, 17 rue Ducale Welcome by Caroline Read, Deputy Ambassador at the UK Mission to the EU Remarks from Margareth Hagen, Rector, University of Bergen Remarks from Karen O’Brien, Vice-Chancellor and Warden, Durham University | |
| DAY 2 Workshop – 21 November 2025 | ||
| Time | Session |
| 08:30-09:00 | Coffee and Registration |
| 09:00 – 09:10 | Welcome & Introduction Stephen Evans, Professor in Practice, School of Government and International Affairs (SGIA),Durham University Kjell-Morten Myhr, Professor of Neurology and Vice-Rector at the University of Bergen |
| 09:10 – 09:30 | Expert Overview of Horizon Funding Opportunities Maritime Transport and CCUS Svend Søyland, Policy officer, seconded national expert, DG RTD (maritime transport) David Barratt-Due, Policy officer, seconded national expert, DG RTD (Clean energy innovation: CCS) |
| 09:30 – 09:35 | NSUP Seed Funding Abir van Hunen, Deputy Head Research, Durham University |
| 09:35 – 09:40 | Workshop Logistics Stephen Evans, Professor in Practice, Durham University |
| 09:40 – 10:20 | Thematic Breakout Tables Table facilitators: Simone Abram, Professor, Durham University Kristine Spildo, Professor, University of Bergen Vebjørn Bakken, Director UiO:Energy and Environment, University of Oslo Richard Dawson, Professor, Newcastle University |
| 10:20 – 10:50 | Coffee Break |
| 10:50– 11:30 | Thematic Breakout Tables |
| 11:30 – 11:45 | Closing Remarks Stephen Evans, Professor in Practice, Durham University |
| 11.45- 12.45 | Lunch |
