OEEC: Master Class with Eric van der Meer, CEO of Airborne Oil & Gas B.V.

Day two of Offshore Energy Exhibition and Conference also saw the second Master Class, organized in cooperation with InContext, taking place, this time with CEO of Airborne Oil & Gas B.V., Eric van der Meer who challenged the attendees (students and young professionals) to create new opportunities new technology acceptance in offshore oil & gas.

The attendees worked on two cases during the Master Class, case one was focused on defining the factors that drive slow technology adoption in (upstream) oil and gas of which Van der Meer said: “These factors are often cultural and organizational as with new technology the context of risk is not singular and requires a decision over many layers.”

The second case saw the students giving a presentation on how to solve the slow technology adoption with Van der Meer asking them to think out of the box.

Van der Meer was pleased with the efforts of the students, commenting: “The slow technology adoption is a real problem within the industry and is something we have been trying to solve for many, many years. I saw some really good suggestions.

“The fact of the matter is that the solution lies in collaboration. No one can solve this problem on their own within the supply chain and how do companies collaborate on this without losing their competitive edge.”

Eric van der Meer is leading one of the Netherlands’ most promising hi-tech manufacturers, Airborne Oil & Gas. During the Master Class, he highlighted the difficulties innovative companies face in getting their technology adopted in offshore oil & gas.

“New technology is not a luxury anymore, but vital for survival. As a whole generation of engineers and managers is leaving the industry at an unprecedented pace, the burden is on the next generation.”

The master classes bring together masters and young talents in the offshore oil, gas and energy industry for an informal exchange of ideas and experiences, both technical and non-technical.

The master classes are meant for final year students, starters and young professionals (<6 years work experience, <35 years old, min. Bachelor degree).

Source: Navingo BV