DIOL in Ålesund: Drones Set to Transform Offshore Logistics
Drones are about to change the offshore energy sector, just as they are already changing several other industries. The question is no longer if, but when and to what extent. This was what we explored when the Interreg North Sea project DIOL held its eighth partnership meeting in Ålesund on 14–15 October 2026, hosted by GCE Blue Maritime Cluster.
DIOL works to build a resilient, sustainable logistics chain for the North Sea's offshore energy build-out: at least 65 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and 150 GW by 2050. A core idea is that aviation and shipping must work together, not side by side, if the green transition is to be delivered efficiently. Some 16 participants from six countries took part, among them Port Esbjerg, Port Oostende, Brest Port, Niedersachsen Ports, SeaTopic, H2X-ECOSYSTEMS, Den Helder Airport, Esbjerg Airport, Fraunhofer IFAM and the Belgian university college VIVES.
Green fuels, sea drones and the realities of offshore wind
The first day at Blue Innovation Arena in Ålesund was devoted to the maritime side of the logistics chain. After a welcome from the host, Knut Tore Aurdal of GCE Blue Maritime Cluster opened with a talk on future fuels in the maritime industry. He showed how the discussions now are converging to a more reluctant focus on bio-based fuels, electrification and energy efficiency, making it much more natural to discuss aviation and maritime combined.
The longest session of the day was dedicated to sea drones and autonomy. Kristian Riksheim of NTNU gave an outlook on the US market for sea drones, where investment and deployment are growing fast. Europe has strong technology and maritime competence, but is losing competitiveness because funding, procurement and scale-up move slower than across the Atlantic. NTNU followed with a presentation and live demonstration of their work on autonomous surface vessels in connection with Fjordlab
After lunch, Marius Endresen, Lead Naval Architect at Vard, took the partners into the operational reality of offshore wind. He explained how service operation vessels and crew transfer concepts are designed around the needs of wind farms far from shore, and where new solutions could save time, fuel and cost. This opened a natural discussion on how drones could take over parts of the transport that vessels handle today.
Where aviation meets shipping
The second day turned to the air. Earlier this year the first drone inspection service opened for an offshore wind farm 50 km off the Dutch coast. DIOL itself recently flew a total of 270 km together with logistics company DSV to deliver equipment to a Service Operation Vessel off Germany. Much of the technological pace is set by the defence industry, where demand for range, payload and robustness is driving rapid progress.
The morning started in Sykkylven at Griff Aviation, which develops heavy-lift drones built to carry substantial payloads. For partners working on offshore logistics, the visit showed what it takes to move from small inspection drones to aircraft that can carry real cargo to installations and vessels at sea.
Back in Ålesund, the group visited Drone Lab @NTNU in Ålesund. Associate Professor Erlend Coates and colleagues presented the lab's research on unmanned aerial systems and how drones can be integrated with maritime operations. The visit gave the aviation specialists in the group, Fraunhofer IFAM from the Offshore Drone Campus Cuxhaven and VIVES with its Bachelor in Drone Applications, a chance to compare notes with their Norwegian counterparts.
The last stop was the Offshore Simulator Centre (OSC). Here the partners saw how advanced simulators let crews and designers rehearse complex marine operations before they take place at sea. One of the hardest challenges for drone logistics is exactly this: simulating how a moving ship and a moving drone interact during take-off and landing, with wind, waves and turbulence around the deck. The meeting closed with a short session to sum up the two days and agree on next steps.
The cluster's role – scouting the value chain from the other end
For GCE Blue Maritime Cluster, DIOL is also a scouting mission. Our cluster designs, builds and operates advanced vessels. In DIOL we see that value chain from the other end – from the ports, airports and offshore sites that need goods and people moved. If drones take over part of that transport, vessels, decks and on-board systems will need to be designed for it. Heavy-lift drones, ship design, autonomy research and simulation are all found within a short drive of Ålesund.
Next stop: the Esbjerg Droneport
Drones are moving from test flights to real services, and the line between maritime and aviation logistics is starting to blur. In March, the Port of Esbjerg opens its new Droneport, a milestone that also marks the end of DIOL. What remains to be seen is who will build the solutions – and how fast.
Source: DIOL – Interreg North Sea
