Blogs

We are back with five handpicked technologies for you this April. Check the list and visit their tech pages for more information.

Technological innovation has played a vital role in the growth of the global energy sector in the past years, especially the major energy players which have invested heavily on technologies to make their operations more efficient. With the rapid technological changes in the sector coupled with sustainability being a central concern for the industry, we find it helpful to thresh out some of the key issues surrounding technology and innovation in the energy sector.

As such, we invited Dr. Robert Perrons, professor of Technology Management and Strategy at the Queensland University of Technology, to answer a few questions on this matter. In this blog you can read Dr. Robert’s insightful answers to our questions on innovation in the energy sector.

Fresh capital, bigger network to fuel further platform growth. 

TechnologyCatalogue.com, fastest-growing global platform for technology solutions in the energy sector, has recently formalised the entry of a new investor, global accelerator-VC Rockstart.

The new investment provides an opportunity for the company to expand the platform exponentially by exploring new territories and introducing new features and functionalities.

InnovationQuarter has joined the Netherlands Energy Technology Platform (NETP), a digital exhibition exclusive to Dutch technologies. With InnovationQuarter on board the NETP, companies in their network have the opportunity to showcase their innovative technologies to potential clients abroad and get support for international business development activities.

March, Women’s History Month, is over. But we must be celebrating women and all their contributions and achievements whenever possible.

 At TechnologyCatalogue.com, we believe in the valuable contribution of women to innovation and technology not just in the energy sector but to all industries and fields. As such, we find it important to grow the number and proportion of women, who are actively pursuing studies and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

 For this week’s Faces of the Energy Sector insights blog, we invited Mervin Azeta --- an energy professional, a chemical engineer, a youth leader and a staunch advocate for greater numbers of females pursuing STEM studies and careers.

TechnologyCatalogue.com was established in March 2018 with the purpose of bridging the gap between technology suppliers and end-users in the global energy industry, but now it has also become an agent of change that accelerates the energy transition with technology and innovation.

In this blog, TechnologyCatalogue.com Co-founder and Managing Partner Erik Nijveld walks you through our journey from being a one-stop shop for technologies in 2018 to a platform for innovations in the global energy industry in 2021 and beyond.

The Middle East is home to many oil-producing countries and has been a key player in the global energy industry. However, socioeconomic and political events and pressures in the past several years, including an enormous increase in energy demand and the global pressure to reduce carbon emissions have forced the region to rethink its stance. 

To give more information on the overall Energy Transition journey in the Middle East, we requested our partner for Oman Dr. Syham Bentouati to answer some key questions about this subject.

From inspection-related technologies to asset management softwares, these five technologies were all tested in operational environments and ready for deployment anytime.

Check and see if one of them could address critical challenges in your organisation.

Technology startups also have differing stories of how the global pandemic has affected them. Some prospered as they answer to specific needs brought by COVID-19, some remained stable with appropriate strategies and/or a good runway, but some folded due to lack of funding or loss of clients.

To give us an idea of how tech startups are weathering the global pandemic, we invited Mina Kamel, CEO and one of the co-founders of Switzerland-based Voliro Airborne Robotics to talk with us.

With a volatile global market and uncertain national political situation, there is a need for companies to future-proof operations and be on top of solutions and strategies available in the market, including technological solutions. Renewables need to further drive their unit cost down to compete with traditional energy sources, while traditional energy companies see the need to diversify and explore emerging business streams.

To shed light on how innovations are playing a role in a challenging business environment that US energy companies are in now, we asked our US partner Joseph Dischinger to answer the following five questions.

TechnologyCatalogue.com has seen very steep growth since the launch of the platform in 2018. We now have more than 500 registered technologies, close to 100 tech experts and over 50,000 platform users. We have also assisted many key players in the industry in their technology selection and deployment activities.

After reading the rest  of this blog, I encourage you to visit our website, register for free and enjoy all these features I am talking about.  

The energy sector remains one of the least gender diverse sectors and closing this gender gap will be vital as women are key drivers of innovative and inclusive solutions. - International Energy Association

TechnologyCatalogue.com believes that real change can be achieved when there’s inclusion and diversity in both decision making and execution processes. There is just no match to many ideas laid on the table coming from people with different perspectives.

For the month of January, we handpicked five technologies that might be valuable to your business. Take a quick look at the list and check their tech pages for more information.

COVID-19 resulted in drastic changes to ways companies and their employees  deal with their clients, mostly resorting to online interactions as restrictions in several countries do not allow for physical events such as meetings, conferences and exhibitions. Although the vaccines offer hope, it is not likely that people will be as comfortable attending live events as in the past especially that current situation exposed them to alternative, sometimes more effective and convenient, ways of doing business...

Last year, both the number of technologies and visitors on our platform and partner portals more than doubled compared to the previous year. This is great news for both suppliers and end-users as it means more exposure for technologies on one hand and more choices of technologies on the other. 

Here we listed t(in alphabetical order) the 10 most viewed technologies on our platform in 2020, with the following common elements.

Our goal is to connect End-Users with the right Technology Suppliers and provide support in the deployment process. 

To realise this goal more effectively, we reached out to over 500 UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) Operators, Tier#1 Contractors, and many international and national oil companies to identify industry trends and establish their specific interest in learning more about Technologies that address key operational challenges. The goal is to listen to our UK End-Users so our platform will be more aligned to actual needs of the sector. One thing was clear as a result of this survey: Energy Transition is a top priority for UK operators. This will be discussed further shortly.

The Energy industry has truly pushed the boundaries over time, and delivered projects that were considered unthinkable not too long ago. Technology has truly been an enabler. Yet, despite the undeniable role that technology has played, it is also clear that there is significant room to further accelerate the speed of technology deployment.

The good news is: technology deployment can be done… faster and with higher chances of success. Read how in this new piece!

This blog will explain how success can be replicated by looking at companies from other industries that have relevant or similar business concerns. When it comes to replicating what your neighbours have done, keep in mind that you are not limited to companies that are active in the same industry as you are. Other industries can offer very powerful ideas --- there are differences in some aspects, but there are also commonalities. Read our new article to learn more about X-Industry techs! 

The number of technologies that are available on the market is overwhelming, and new technologies become available every single day. Selecting the right technology for your business may seem like finding a needle in the haystack!

In this blog, we share some insights on how you can address this challenge, no matter how large or small your company is.

In one of our previous blogs, we revealed a few secrets to boost your technology with the Tech Positioning Programme, based on >20 years of technology deployment experience. The programme helps you to identify strengths and opportunities to improve the overall offering, and to make it as attractive as possible to the broadest appropriate customer base. 

People asked us the question whether the Tech Positioning Programme is a one-off event, or whether it needs to be repeated at regular intervals. It is the latter, and in this blog we explain why.

Technological advances have enabled the industry to produce natural gas at never-seen-before rates by maximizing the potential from assets and ensuring optimum flow rates across the field. However, these pose plenty of challenges to match the demand at sales point – constantly fluctuating oil and gas price, production inefficiencies, cost pressures squeezing the margins and limited personnel on the field.

The uncertainty in the behavior of the challenges needs a connected system that helps in making dynamic decisions to suit the situation. For consistent and faster problem recognition, AI-driven digital twin is proposed to optimize the production of the gas gathering network.

Read more about Cerebra Digital Twin in our latest article!

When an Oil/Gas or Petrochemical facility is in its operating phase it will require periodic maintenance activities throughout its lifetime. One of the most impactful recurring activities are the planned shutdowns (‘turnarounds’) that are typically conducted at intervals varying from 1-6 years.

Click on "Read more" to see how we helped a UK-based Oil & Gas Operator to shorten the duration of a turnaround by ~40% thanks to the right technology!

TechnologyCatalogue.com is growing fast. We’re rapidly going towards 500 technologies, and already >35,000 unique users have made use of the platform to select technologies that can improve business performance.

Besides the free subscription for suppliers, we also offer paid services. One of the services that we provide is ‘Market Insights & Analytics’.

The analytics give you powerful insights that can help you maximise the market potential of your technology. Learn more in this article!

In one of our recent blogs, we shared three tips for Operators to increase the chances that technology gets deployed and replicated. 

Multiple people responded to the blog, and indicated that it would be great to receive a monthly e-mail summary of new additions to TechnologyCatalogue.com, such that it can support items 2 and 3 as per above. This is now something that we have added to our services menu.

Read how it works in our latest article!

Steinar’s practical guide is based on his experience over the years with radical innovation in Equinor and other companies. The book sums up the knowledge he has gained from this journey in a story-like format, emphasizing the importance of taking a systematic approach to radical innovation. Although TechnologyCatalogue.com does not focus on radical innovation, there is still a seamless fit with what we do. In this blog, we will explain what the link is!

The UK’s energy sector is changing more rapidly than ever before, driven by societal expectations and today’s challenging economic environment. Besides, the need for accelerated technology deployment has increased further as a result of the current low oil and gas prices as well as the current COVID-19 pandemic. To help address these challenges, the UK Energy Technology Platform was recently launched. In this article, we talk to Colin Black, Founder and Owner of Carjon-NRG, an Aberdeen headquartered Technology Deployment Service Company, delivering energy innovation around the world. Together we discuss the UK Energy Technology Platform, its functionalities, how it can address business needs and how it is a revolutionary asset for the Energy Industry - keeping in mind the challenges as outlined above! 

Country platforms - like the UK Energy Technology Platform – are delivered jointly with local partners that have an extensive network and a solid reputation. Naturally, these local partners share in the success of the platform. Also, it gives them a chance to create visibility for their own technology deployment services to get technologies deployed, this way helping suppliers and end-users to improve business performance...

Over the past few years, the world has been witnessing a revolution happening along our coasts, as the number of offshore wind projects has been multiplying.

Offshore wind represents now a large section in the energy market that more and more players in the field are trusting, being a powerful and effective resource for the good of our economy and the health of our oceans.

In one of our previous blog “ Getting technology deployed and replicated - 3 tips for suppliers”,  we shared three tips for suppliers to increase the chances that technology gets deployed and replicated. In this blog, we share three tips for Operators.

The oil and gas industry has truly pushed the boundaries over time and delivered projects that were considered unthinkable not too long ago. Technology has truly been an enabler. Yet, despite the undeniable role that technology has played, it is also clear that there is significant room to further accelerate the speed of technology deployment and realise its true value proposition, particularly in today’s challenging business environment.

In this blog, we want to share 3 tips for suppliers.

Most Operators would agree that technology and innovation are critical to remain competitive. Also, most Operators would agree with the statement that effective deployment is key to reap the full benefit from the technology & innovation efforts. Yet, few companies that we know of have effective technology deployment guidelines in place, such that it is clear to staff the steps they need to take to effectively get technology deployed into the business.

When we support Operators with streamlining their technology deployment guidelines, we focus on two main areas...

Over the years we have supported tens of different Operators with streamlining technology delivery. Essentially all these companies have some sort of internal technology catalogue, in different shapes and forms. Sometimes these catalogues are very basic; such as an overview in PowerPoint or in Excel. And sometimes these catalogues are more advanced, including web-based environments. 

An internally developed technology catalogue offers advantages. It gives an overview of technologies that are considered important by the company, and it gives a chance to combine such an overview with internal reviews, as well as links to internal documents such as application guides.

TechnologyCatalogue.com was launched in Q3 2018 as a key tool to support the deployment of novel and proven technologies in the energy industry. It may be interpreted as a ‘Tripadvisor’ like web platform for technologies. However, there are also some key differences as deploying technology is unfortunately not as simple as booking a hotel or restaurant. Read this blog to find out how TechnologyCatalogue.com connects an overview of technologies for the energy industry from deployment expertise to maximise impact for suppliers, end-users and investors.

Today’s challenges as a result of COVID-19 and the low oil price are a wake-up call to the Energy industry. The current  business climate poses many threats, but also offer opportunities to do things differently, e.g. by more aggressively applying technology to improve business performance and to stay competitive.

As a result, many people have been tasked with building a Technology Plan for their organisation; we notice that from the requests we have received, particularly in the past months.

For those that have never built such a plan, it can be difficult to determine where to start. 

In this blog we give you some practical guidance.

One of the books that I read years ago when I did my MBA was Crossing the Chasm, by Geoffrey Moore. The book describes the challenges to get products accepted by the early majority; this requires a different approach compared to selling products to innovators and early adopters.

The book has left a deep impression, and I’ve used the insights that the book gave me in the various technology deployment roles that I’ve had. However, a key learning that I got as well over the years: when it comes to getting technology deployed in the Oil & Energy business, it’s not so much ‘crossing the chasm’ that is the issue, but to get to the chasm in the first place.

The Minimum Intervention Strategy for Inspection was launched at the API Inspection Summit in Galveston. The objective is reducing the scope for turn arounds by optimizing the use of Risk Based Inspection analysis, applying Non-Intrusive Inspection where possible and replacing human entries for inspection with robot inspections.

Application in a major Oil- and Gas- producing company over 30 installations has led to:

• Up to 50% cost reduction for Turnarounds

• Average 5 days reduction of Turnaround time

• Significant reduction of confined space entries

What is a Minimum Intervention Strategy for Inspection (MISI)?

CTO’s and other technology leaders in Oil & Gas companies may all recognize this… You have a portfolio of technology solutions to address business challenges, and you’re experiencing less pull for the technologies as a result of COVID-19 and the low oil price. Or even no pull at all!

What to do about it? In this blog, we will give you insights about the tools you can use to assess your current technology portfolio. Also, we’ll give insights where typically quick wins through technology deployment can be found. The insights are based on the work we have done in support of tens of operators in the past years.

Although today’s business environment is clearly very challenging, there are still many opportunities to make a difference with technology. How can you maximise the chances of success, and organise your activities such that the uptake of technology is accelerated, even in today’s environment?

In this blog, we will reveal a few secrets to boost your technology with the Tech Positioning Programme, based on >20 years of technology deployment experience. 

This programme helps you to identify strengths and opportunities to improve the overall offering to make it as attractive as possible to the broadest appropriate customer base.