Cross-border collaboration at SOS Ocean

During the SOS Ocean Voyage aboard Statsraad Lehmkuhl, Anne Park (Sustainable Ocean Alliance) and Sharon Røe (Innovation Norway, San Francisco) led a powerful workshop on one of the central capabilities required to unlock ocean solutions at scale: collaboration across borders.

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Rather than treating collaboration as an outcome, Anne and Sharon framed it as a capability—a practice that requires structure, intentionality, and alignment across sectors and countries. They emphasized how youth networks, policy institutions, entrepreneurs, and private capital each hold part of the solution, but only succeed when their actions reinforce one another.

Drawing from successful Norway–US partnerships, the workshop highlighted how shared science, shared funding models, and shared governance frameworks accelerate the development of scalable ocean technologies. These examples demonstrated why cross-border collaboration is not merely beneficial but necessary to meet the speed and ambition required by the climate and ocean crises.

Why Norway–US collaboration matters now

Sharon Røe reflected on the rapidly growing demand for Norwegian innovation in the U.S. green maritime and ocean sectors—particularly along the West Coast, where strict climate regulations and a forward-leaning venture ecosystem create both urgency and opportunity:

“Working with Norwegian startups in the U.S. has shown just how strongly Norwegian green maritime and ocean technologies resonate here. At our pre-event, Zinus, Evoy, Oceanfront, and Pascal demonstrated solutions that directly match the urgent zero-emission transition underway on the U.S. West Coast.In particular, California, now the world’s fourth-largest economy, is a strategic market for Norwegian companies, with the country's strictest regulations pushing ports and operators toward shore power, vessel retrofits, and zero-emission cargo handling. For Norwegian innovators, this creates a unique window: the West Coast isn’t just interested in new solutions - it actively needs them. The demand is real - and the West Coast is ready for Norwegian solutions that both scale and sell” — Sharon Røe, Innovation Norway

She highlighted how California’s legally binding zero-emission rules—and similar frameworks in Washington and Oregon—are reshaping market opportunities today. Ports and operators are already deploying shore power, retrofitting vessels, and transitioning to zero-emission cargo systems, opening the door for ambitious technology providers. For Norwegian companies, the message is clear: the West Coast doesn’t just welcome innovation—it urgently needs it.

Collaboration as a global movement

Anne Park underscored that solving ocean challenges at scale will require a new form of global cooperation, where solutions cross borders as easily as ideas:

“Cross-border collaboration isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s the only way we solve ocean challenges at the scale needed to make material change. At SOA, we’re catalyzing a movement which transcends borders and focuses on solutions big and small. Our partnership with SOS is a catalyst demonstrating this spirit of collaboration and we hope to spur more action by working together across industries with leaders who are willing to think differently and take action.” — Anne Park, CEO, Sustainable Ocean Alliance

She emphasized that SOA and SOS share a commitment to mobilizing young leaders, investors, and innovators around actionable ocean solutions—and that collaboration is the foundation for this global movement.

From sea to shore: What we carry forward

The workshop concluded with a collective reflection on what participants will bring back to shore as leaders, innovators, and collaborators. Trust built at sea, early-stage pilot concepts, and new cross-border relationships now move into the next phase of the Sustainable Ocean Solutions agenda.

The SOS Voyage reminded us that the ocean connects us. Harnessing that connection—through collaboration, shared purpose, and bold ambition—is what will allow us to accelerate solutions at the scale the ocean demands.

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