Expedition+ Challenge: Inventions for the Ocean Industry in the Era of AI

19 students, 4 days, 5 pitches and 1 winning team: The Expedition+ at NHH Bergen from 20 to 23 April 2026 has been a week of fun challenges and new friendships.

The AI Accelerated Innovation Challenge brought together students from across the alliance to tackle real challenges in the ocean industry. Working closely with Odfjell SE, they explored how artificial intelligence can improve efficiency and sustainability.

At the end of the program, five teams pitched their ideas to a jury. One team stood out.

“I still haven’t processed that we won. It feels unreal,” says Bjarne Laartz, an NHH student and member of the winning team.

Reinventing ship inspections

Together with teammates from UT Capitole and Mannheim, Laartz developed a solution to improve the so-called vetting process, inspections that determine whether a ship is fit to operate.

“We developed a system that reduces the risk of critical deficiencies during ship inspections, the so-called vetting process. Today, despite being digitalized in many aspects, these assessments still rely critically on the captain’s experience and judgement,” explains Nassim Haou from UT Capitole.

If too many unforeseen issues are identified during an inspection, a ship may be delayed from departure, at a significant cost to the shipping company.

“A delay can cost up to USD 50,000 per day. With a more data-driven approach that integrates captain’s experience and judgement more systematically, this process can become both safer, more reliable, and more efficient,” Haou says.

Next stop Slush

As winners of the challenge, the team was awarded tickets to Slush in Helsinki, one of Europe’s leading events for startups and innovation.

“This is a great opportunity to learn more about how AI can accelerate entrepreneurship and to connect with people from across the ecosystem,” says Haou.

“You are all winners”

The other teams also presented strong concepts, including solutions related to recruitment in the maritime sector, emissions reduction, improved communication systems, and real-time decision support for ship captains.

“I would like to congratulate all of you. It is impressive to see what you have achieved in just three days, especially without prior knowledge of the ocean industry. You are all winners for making it this far,” said Alena Pedersen, VP Corporate IT and Digitalization at Odfjell SE, which hosted the Expedition+ event.

Text and photos: Ina-Cristine Helljesen