Centre for Deep-Sea Innovation

Access to mineral resources is critical for modern society. The shift toward renewable energy production and electrification will significantly increase the demand for several metals. Even the most optimistic scenarios suggest that recycling, a circular economy, and technology improvements are insufficient to meet this demand. Additionally, social and political instability heightens the supply risk of several critical metals. Europe’s situation is concerning! The region consumes 25-30% of global metal production but produces only 3-5%. Like many developed countries, Norway has experienced a decline in on-land mining activities due to environmental concerns, regulatory challenges, community opposition, indigenous rights, and economic barriers.
 
Acknowledging these challenges and Norway’s vast deep-sea areas, rich in marine minerals essential for the energy transition, the Norwegian Parliament has conditionally opened parts of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for seabed mineral activities. The initial phase focuses on exploration, with potential for production if sufficient knowledge demonstrates that extraction is both environmentally responsible and economically viable. Recognising the validity of the substantial environmental concerns, a precautionary, step-by-step approach is essential. Achieving better environmental, climate, and societal outcomes than land-based mining is a goal, deemed crucial for the future of seabed mining by many, including this consortium.
 
Current knowledge of marine mineral resources and deep-sea ecosystems in the Norwegian Sea primarily comes from a long-term research initiative at the University of Bergen (UiB), currently led by the Centre for Deep Sea Research. Leveraging this knowledge and deep-sea operational capacity, along with the expertise of collaborating institutions, the proposed Centre for Deep-Sea Innovation will be uniquely positioned to help stakeholders determine whether the deep sea can be a viable future source of raw materials. The Centre will use this position to foster innovation and develop knowledge to address two crucial challenges for industrial and governmental decisions, as well as public perception, regarding mining in the Norwegian EEZ.

• Resource Potential: What are the quantities and grades of mineable and refinable seabed mineral deposits?
• Environmental Responsibility: Can seafloor mining occur with acceptable environmental impact?

Both challenges are critical to determining the environmental and economic viability of deep-sea mineral extraction. Current understanding of the resource potential within the Norwegian EEZ is based on data from relatively few mineral deposits, with significant uncertainties about deposit sizes, ore grades, and whether the geology of the Norwegian Sea supports high-grade ores. Similarly, despite substantial research over the past two decades, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding the deep-sea ecosystems of the Norwegian Sea, which must be addressed to assess potential mining impacts accurately.

• Innovative Products and Technologies: Our industry partners will develop research-driven products and technologies that can lead to new standards and approvals in deep-sea mineral extraction.
   
• Economic Benefits: New products and technologies for sustainable deep-sea mineral extraction will have economic benefits for society, including increased value creation and new jobs.
   
• Environmental Responsibility: Preventive measures and innovative methods can potentially reduce the environmental impact of deep-sea mineral extraction, ensuring that extraction occurs in an environmentally responsible manner.
   
• International Collaboration: International exchange will increase research activities, publications, spin-off projects, and additional funding. Researchers and industry partners will receive training in innovation management, intellectual property rights (IPR), and develop international careers.
   
• Research School and Education: A research school in deep-sea mineral extraction and innovation will be established, along with master’s programmes. Norway will benefit directly from reduced public costs, commercialisation, and sustainability. The new knowledge will bring international focus for developers, designers, and technology export.
   
• Stakeholder Engagement: The Centre will engage a broad spectrum of Norwegian stakeholders: industry partners, researchers, national authorities, and other interested parties. Our approach will not only focus on sharing information but also on fostering collaboration, co-creation, and the exchange of knowledge across sectors.

These expected outcomes will help strengthen Norway’s position in deep-sea mineral extraction while ensuring sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. 

Centres for Research-based Innovation (SFIs) develop expertise that is important for innovation and value creation. The Centre for Deep-Sea Innovation will engage a broad spectrum of Norwegian stakeholders: industry partners, researchers, governmental agencies, and other interested parties. Our approach will focus not only on sharing information but also on fostering collaboration, co-creation, and the exchange of knowledge across the sectors.
 
We will design a modular education programme aimed at academia, industry, and the public sector, to increase competence and skills in the deep-sea mining sectors, deployed through on-site training workshops, master courses, and professional organisations.
 
We envision at least 10 doctoral theses, as well as books (monographs, multi-chaptered, reference manuals, educational, etc.). In addition, we will perform scientific dissemination at relevant international conferences, both through oral presentations and posters.
 
In cooperation with the UiB FERD career centre, doctoral and postdoctoral researchers will be trained in innovation management and IPR. At the same time, industry engineers will receive training to develop products with user involvement. All these actions will increase research and innovation competence.
 
The Centre for Deep-Sea Innovation will enable us to apply for a PhD Research School in Deep-Sea Mining and Innovation together with the Eitri Medical Incubator, through which we will offer continued research-industry bidirectional education. From current master programmes at UiB (e.g., Marine Geoscience) and NTNU, we will recruit and train the designers of the future of deep-sea mining. Moreover, the training of industry workers on innovative, smart mining-tech will be critical to improving competence and maintaining a skilled workforce.

The UiB’s Department of Earth Science also hosts modern lab facilities and technical expertise for geochemical, isotopic and microbiological analyses that are available for the Centre.

With our current infrastructure, we are able to measure:

1. Major and trace elements in solutions and solids using a range of spectroscopic and mass spectrometry techniques (ICP-OES, ICP-MS, laser ablation ICP-MS, XRF);
2. Light stable isotopes (C, N, O) in solids, gasses and fluids using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry, as well as field-based and trace gas isotope measurements;
3. Radiogenic (Sr, Nd, Hf, Pb) and heavy stable isotopes (Fe, Cu, Zn) using a multi-collector ICP-MS and TIMS with sample preparation routines in a class 1000 clean laboratory; and
4. Diverse dissolved inorganic gases (H₂, CO₂, CO) and organic compounds (hydrocarbons, NSOs) using gas chromatography.

In addition, we can carry out mineral identification using XRD and electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), and perform sediment studies including XRF and CT core scanning in our Earth Surface Sediment Laboratory. We also have access to the NORDSIM Nordic research facility in Stockholm, where we can carry out in situ microscale analyses of stable (O, S, Fe) and radiogenic isotopes (U, Th, Pb) using an ion microprobe.

Our Geomicrobiology laboratory  is specifically developed for offshore sampling, experiments, culturing, metabolic and genomic characterization of marine and hydrothermal systems. It covers all aspects of modern microbiology including PCR, qPCR, various incubators, high-speed ultracentrifuges, advanced microscopes and equipment for protein purification and analysis.

The UiB Department of Biology hosts modern lab facilities and technical expertise for molecular and morphological analyses as well as seawater facilities for experimental work that are available for the Centre.

In addition, we have access to sequencing facilities at UiB and University of Oslo.

The Ægir6000 is the first Norwegian Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to have been specifically designed as a research ROV. It can dive to 6000 m, and is capable of carrying and deploying a variety of sensory equipment and numerous cameras. It can also be deployed with a dedicated Tether Management System (TMS) that stores and deploys the tethering cable when the ROV is submerged enabling it to be decoupled from the motion of the ship and also enabling it to operate at a larger radius from the mother ship. The TMS has a cage-like containment system for transporting the ROV during deployment and has sample storage facilities so that the ROV is capable of collecting more material every dive then previous ROV systems. 

The ROV Aegir 6000 was originally funded through a Research Council of Norway (RCN) large infrastructure grant. It was officially launched 1st July 2015. Within deep sea research at UiB,  Ægir6000 is the primary tool for exploring, sampling and deploying instruments and experiments at deep sea study areas - including the ice covered parts of the Arctic Ocean. With camera systems on both the TMS and the ROV itself, Ægir6000 is capable of sending unique footage to itself in action in the deep sea. Rolf Birger Pedersen received a further grant announced in October 2024  to upgrade this infrastructure uner the NORMARII auspices. 

Briefly, Ægir6000 is: 

- a work-class ROV specially equipped for science with samplers and sensors 
- sufficiently powered to operate seafloor drilling systems and to install and maintain seafloor observatories  
- designed for operation from both RVs G.O. Sars and Kronprins Haakon 
- deployed together with a 1000m+ tether management system (TMS)