Eelume has received NOK 175.000 in pre-project funding this year from GCE Ocean Technology.
Eelume was established in 2015 as a spin-off from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
After a decade of research on snake robots in collaboration with the research organization SINTEF, the company decided to pursue industrial subsea applications.
Eelume is a technology for subsea inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR), developed in partnership with Kongsberg Maritime and Equinor.
The vehicles are basically self-propelled robotic arms whose slender and flexible body can transit over long distances and carry out IMR in confined spaces not accessible by conventional underwater vehicles.
The technology has been engineered to live permanently under water, where they can be mobilized 24/7 regardless of weather conditions. A continuous IMR capability near the subsea installations without the need for surface vessels means greener, safer and less costly subsea operations.
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GCE Ocean Technology provides financial and professional support and advice for free, to establish externally funded RDI projects for its partners and members.
So far, GCE has succeeded in helping cluster companies in securing more than NOK 1.35 billion in externally funded projects owned and run by cluster companies.
Another company that received pre-project funding last year was uSEA Technologies followed by NOK 6.5 million in funding from the Research Council of Norway to develop its active towed docking station for AUVs.
GCE said it has more pre-project funding to award, and that it is in talks with Innovation Norway and Vestland Fylkeskommune to boost its pre-project funding budget.