WIN BIG meets Women on Board
Apr 22, 2026
The work to increase female presence in blue economy continues. Cluster Manager of NCE Blue Legasea, Wenche Uksnøy, was invited to the Women on Board RSG meeting to present experiences and preliminary results from the WIN-BIG project. New findings from a regional Women on Board report were also presented.
From the left: Elisabeth Nordin (Blue Centre of Competence), Wenche Uksnøy (NCE Blue Legasea), Sølvi Nordin (Blue Centre of Competence)
Women on Board
The Interreg project Women on Board aims to increase women’s participation and promote gender equality in the blue economy. The Norwegian blue sector is both a target group and an active contributor to the project. Blue Centre of Competence at Frøya and Hitra is the Norwegian partner, and through the establishment of a Regional Stakeholder Group (RSG) in Trøndelag, efforts are focused on mapping challenges related to working conditions, recruitment, and workplace culture, as well as sharing experiences and best practices and providing input to regional strategies and policies in this field.
Mind the gap. And bridge it
The key findings from the Trøndelag regional report show that the challenge is not only to recruit more women into the blue economy, but to ensure that they stay, develop, and reach leadership positions. There is a clear gap between political ambitions and actual workplace practices. Women are often concentrated in administrative roles, while men dominate technical and operational positions—something that directly impacts career opportunities.
The report also highlights a “leaky pipeline,” where women drop out over time, and that many experience unequal access to career development. Workplace culture and practical conditions play a crucial role, and a significant share of women report unwanted situations in their daily work. At the same time, the report clearly identifies what works: visible role models, mentoring, flexibility, and clearer career pathways.
The barriers are largely structural and cultural rather than individual, and men are identified as an important part of the solution. The findings underline the need for more practice-oriented measures that connect policy with everyday working life—and that facilitate long-term inclusion and development in the industry.
Elisabeth Nordin (Blue Centre of Competence).
WIN-BIG contribution
Discussions throughout the day revealed clear synergies and shared interests between the two projects. There is strong potential to learn from each other and to leverage each other’s data and experiences in order to accelerate progress in this important work.
Cluster Manager Uksnøy puts it this way:
“While Women on Board focuses on policy development, gender equality, and systemic change, WIN-BIG takes a more operational approach, focusing on entrepreneurship and capacity building through mentoring programmes, learning labs, and the promotion of role models from the blue economy. I look forward to closer collaboration between these two projects—and to how we can, in practice, create change and unlock the untapped potential of women who want to find their place in this industry.”
