With the opening of its Stockton-on-Tees engineering office Aker aims to create up to 100 jobs in NE England.
Aker Solutions' drilling technologies business will be the main occupant in the new office, which is located right next to the company's current premises at the Preston Farm industrial estate, Stockton-on-Tees, UK.
The office will house product engineers who will be working on a wide range of topside drilling equipment. Aker Solutions is one of the top-two global suppliers of deepwater drilling packages for offshore drilling rigs and drillships.
"We are well aware of the excellent oil and gas engineering competence in the north east of England. We are experiencing significant growth, so we want to tap into this market to further support both our UK and international customers," says Thor Arne Håverstad, head of Aker Solutions drilling technologies business.
The new engineering office has a capacity of 100 people. Aker Solutions aims to hire 30 by year-end. But the long-term ambition is to utilise the entire office capacity.
"The north east region has a proud industrial heritage with a huge engineering competence base. Additionally, it contains several excellent educational institutions that produce exactly the type of competence we need, for example structural and mechanical engineers. We also know that many engineers commute from the north east to other parts of the UK. Hopefully our plans will make some of them consider Stockton-on-Tees as an even more attractive option," adds Thor Arne Håverstad.
Aker Solutions will move into its new Stockton-on-Tees office at the end of October