A year ago, Jannik Bang Reumann and Dan Dahlgren Pedersen left the Danish Armed Forces to join NorSea Denmark and take on the task of building the NorSea Defence division from our new office at Industriens Hus; the home of the Confederation of Danish Industries.
Both Jannik (an officer) and Dan (a civilian) brought with them insight, knowledge and experience gained through long careers in the Armed Forces. Today, they use that experience to build bridges between the Armed Forces, the defence industry, and the logistics capabilities that NorSea has developed over decades in the energy sector, as well as through the Group’s work with the defence sector in Norway.
What has surprised you the most since joining NorSea?
Dan: "I think the biggest realization has been just how many of the energy sector’s competencies can actually be transferred to the defence sector with very few adjustments."
"We are used to managing complex operations, high-value assets, stringent safety requirements and tight schedules. That applies to both the energy and defence sectors. There are an incredible number of parallels."
Jannik: "The breadth of NorSea’s experience in the defence sector has surprised me.
I expected to join a company with extensive and highly relevant logistics expertise, but limited defence-sector experience. However, NorSea is part of a group with significant experience in defence and emergency preparedness, particularly in Norway. There is a strong foundation already in place that we can continue to build on in Denmark."
The defence industry is about weapons, equipment and technology. How does the energy sector fit into that?
Dan: "Right now, there is a huge focus on drones, technology and new solutions, on new equipment and military build-up. Rightly so. But the increased activity is putting pressure on the Armed Forces’ existing logistics infrastructure. We have the resources and expertise to help address those challenges, allowing the Armed Forces to focus on military tasks."
"Today, security is about both defence and supply chain resilience; energy is about both independence and the fight against climate change; and ultimately it is all about competitiveness. This is where a wide range of civilian competencies come into play.
Behind every operation lies a logistical reality. Equipment must be transported, stored, maintained and made available when needed. These are absolutely critical functions."
Where do you see the greatest overlap between the energy sector and the Armed Forces?
Jannik: "First and foremost, in the understanding of critical operations and risk."
"In the energy sector, people work with complex supply chains, specialized equipment, high safety standards and a constant focus on operational continuity. If something goes wrong, the consequences can be significant."
"That mindset is very familiar from the Armed Forces. It also means that energy professionals and defence professionals quickly find common ground: we share the same understanding of risk."
Dan: "I agree. In addition, there are areas such as compliance, occupational health and safety, and safety culture.
Many of the processes and competencies developed over decades in the energy sector are highly relevant to both the Armed Forces and the defence industry."
What does the development we are seeing in the Armed Forces mean?
Dan: "The openness we are seeing at the moment is new. It has emerged through collaboration with the business community and a growing recognition that there is no need to reinvent everything internally.
There are already companies with experience, capacity and solutions that can help strengthen resilience and preparedness. That is why it makes good sense to leverage existing capabilities rather than building everything from scratch."
What can NorSea contribute in practical terms?
Jannik: "We can contribute with what we already do every day: logistics in the broadest sense, if you will. That includes warehousing operations, transportation, port operations and base operations. In addition, there are more defence-specific services such as Host Nation Support and deployable camp and base-support solutions, which our Norwegian colleagues have delivered to the Norwegian Armed Forces and allied forces for many years.
Most importantly, and this is probably where we differentiate ourselves from other players, NorSea is capable of acting as an integrator and provider of fourth-party logistics (4PL) solutions, enabling complex operations to be carried out safely and efficiently."
"I would also argue that our experience from some of the most demanding logistics environments in the energy sector can create value for both the Armed Forces and the defence industry. We are used to operating in mission-critical environments.”
There is a lot of talk about a joint Nordic effort in defence. What role do NorSea’s Nordic experiences play in that context?
Dan: "We are part of a Norwegian-owned group with operations across Scandinavia.
Our activities are primarily within the energy sector, but certainly also within defence. It has been interesting to learn even more about the assignments that NorSea Group and Wilhelmsen have delivered for the Norwegian Armed Forces and allied defence organizations over the years.
Significant expertise has been developed in areas including logistics and Host Nation Support."
"We see considerable potential in transferring the strong civil-military cooperation experience of our Norwegian parent and sister companies to the other Nordic countries.
We should capitalize on the fact that we have a strong presence in Norway, Denmark and, most recently, Sweden, where Wilhelmsen and Sweden’s Wallenius Lines jointly operate Nordic Way Services, providing military transportation, logistics and Host Nation Support services.
We are part of a group with an integrated and secure supply chain across Scandinavia, enabling us to deliver the joint Nordic solutions that we expect will be increasingly in demand as Nordic defence cooperation continues to deepen."
