About THEMA
History
THEMA was founded in March 2010 by Åsmund Jenssen, Eivind Magnus and Håkon Taule, all energy market experts with a long track record from the energy sector and as consultants. By August, another five experienced energy market experts had joined and, in February 2011, we hired our first analyst. Since then, we have built the business step by step and, as we celebrate our 10th anniversary, the organisation has 11 partners, 14 consultants and analysts, and one office manager. During 2019, we executed projects for more than 150 different clients in the Nordic area and the rest of Europe. Our client portfolio includes power utilities, investors, industry associations, manufacturing companies, transport companies, regulators and public authorities.
The energy sector has traditionally been an active arena for public policy and regulation and, if anything, this is even more true today than it was when THEMA was established. In the last decade, energy policy and markets have been shaped by climate targets and by the efforts of the EU to integrate energy markets more efficiently. These trends are clearly reflected in our project portfolio. We won our first project for the EU Commission way back in 2012, and more have come since. At the 10-year mark, we have two framework agreements with the European Commission, in cooperation with an international consortium of energy market experts.
THEMA has established itself as a sought-after supplier of energy sector forecasts and models, both in the Nordic market and in Europe, and this fact is reflected in our growing list of European clients and model users. In particular, we have built up an increasing client base in Germany and other German-speaking countries. In 2020, we’ll be joined by our first employees based in THEMA’s German office.
Even within our first year of operation, we had fixed upon the business principle that remains the cornerstone of our work: that by combining a knowledge of markets, strategy, business development, regulation and market design, we deliver analysis and advice that is of significant value both to our clients and to society at large. From the start, the core of our expertise has been an in-depth knowledge of and long experience with the challenges and issues facing the power industry, and this forms the foundation of our role as expert advisers. Along the way, our knowledge of how the power sector and power markets work has become increasingly valuable in a variety of other areas. For example, the electrification of the transport sector has become a natural extension of our core business and an area where we are continuously building expertise.
We have endeavoured to build a team that covers a broad range of academic specialisms, including technology, business, finance and economics. This diversity is an enormous source of strength. The combination of experts and experience that we offer is unique. It has proven to be extremely valuable in providing advice on the fundamental transition of the energy system needed to tackle climate change efficiently while also securing social welfare and economic growth.
Tailored, cross-disciplinary teams have proven to be very beneficial in finding solutions to the challenges facing various stakeholders in the power and transportation sectors. When we compose teams for different assignments, we also look beyond our company. Over the years, we have collaborated with many Norwegian and international experts on issues requiring an even broader set of expertise or specialist competencies. THEMA is part of an extensive expert network and is recognised as a valuable partner. This is true both in private consultancy and public projects, as well as within the research community.
Mission and values
Tackling climate change will require a profound transformation of the energy and transport sectors and creates both new challenges and opportunities for companies and public authorities alike. An effective transformation, in which we safeguard social welfare and economic growth, requires an understanding of the energy system, of companies’ capabilities and of political goals.
Our mission: We are expert consultants, which means that we
- Help companies and public authorities build a solid foundation on which to identify and realise sustainable and profitable solutions.
- Provide analysis, reports and strategic advice based on solid subject-matter expertise, in-depth industry knowledge and a broad understanding of how society works.
Our values:
We are reliable, creative and clear.
Reliable
- We conduct analysis that is well-founded and always deliver high-quality work.
- We provide our clients with answers that are relevant to the challenges they face, and we hold an ongoing dialogue with our clients throughout.
- We are a good sparring partner and a trusted contributor in public debate.
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Creative
- We aspire to contribute a new understanding of and a deeper insight into the issues on which we work.
- We are open to new ideas and willing to challenge one another, our clients and ourselves.
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Clear
- We work in a focused and goal-driven manner to get to the core of the issue and then communicate what is essential.
- Our conclusions are clear and understandable in both reports and presentations.