2,290 people have applied for the 34 available positions on the new polar research vessel Crown Prince Haakon.
– That the jobs are challenging, progressive and meaningful definitely has had its say. With 2,290 applicants, we secured a solid crew of for a sturdy ship, Marine Research Director, Sissel Rogne, says.
The deadline for applications was on Wednesday; two weeks after the positions were announced. It is mainly Norwegian applicants, but it has also been some applications from other Nordic countries, Aftenposten writes.
Positions as sailors and officers where the most sought after. Most applicants come from the offshore industry, and many others have relevant experience from fishery.
The Government decided in October of 2012 to build a new ice-breaking research vessel. It’s Havforskningsinstituttet (the Sea Research Institute) who are responsible for the project, and the total budget is around NOK 1.4 billion. The vessel, Crown Prince Haakon, is designed by Rolls-Royce and built at the shipyard Fincantieri in Italy.
The ship will have Tromsø as home port, and it is the Norwegian Polar Institute which is the formal owner on behalf of the Norwegian Government. It should be ready for scientific expeditions early next year.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today