Risk Perspective of the Maritime Supply Chain in Norway

Abstract

Norway has a strong maritime cluster and employs 90 000 people. The supply chain in the maritime industry consists of a complex and global network of logistics. The purpose is to collect information about the risk perspective and the way Norwegian companies evaluate risk in the maritime supply chain.

Existing literature has been reviewed and compared to the findings from interviews with high standing personnel in the maritime industry in Norway. Personnel from three companies in one direct supply chain were interviewed to obtain information about the current risk perspective. The risk perspective is continuously changing with the change in market demand and macro environment in the industry.

The companies in one direct supply chain agree that the most significant risk factor influencing their company will vary with time and the macro environment. The companies view of their most significant risk factors in the current conditions is access to raw material, access to human capital, IT security, environmental requirements, on-time delivery, and changes in the production line.

Stricter environmental regulations in the maritime sector are influencing the supply chain to a large degree. The regulatory demands are more present for the companies closest to the end-customer in the supply chain. The risks from the increasing environmental focus are both technological and regulatory driven.

A risk event occurring at one company in the supply chain can cause a ripple effect throughout the supply chain. Close communication upstream and downstream closes the gap between the actors in the supply chain and presents more solutions to reduce the overall impact of risk events.