Making Sense of Safety in a Complex World
Bringing together academic rigor, operatinal realities, and data science to improve decision making
Progressing transportation safety from data to wisdom
Working with diverse operators to bridge theory and application
Who we are
Open Climb helps organizations make sense of safety in a complex world. Our team of PhD experts bridges academic rigor with operational experience and cutting-edge data science. We offer on site and virtual training and conduct small and large-scale projects.
Trusted by operators, regulators, and training organizations, we integrate proprietary data, open-source data, machine learning, and systems thinking into practical solutions. Our unique blend of experience from aviation, oil & gas, and other fields is grounded in science, delivering both credibility and innovation.
Whether you’re enhancing a mature SMS or building one from the ground up, we’re here to partner with you. Check out our founder’s research on Google Scholar or contact us directly to start a conversation.
Leverage your proprietary data with open-source data to gain a more holistic understranding
Open-source data is becoming increasingly available, yet it is underleveraged as an ingestion point for safety management systems. Low-code and no-code methods now exist for operators to utilize tools that were once only in the domain of high priced vendors.
Words of kindness
Hear from collaborators about how Open Climb helped evolve their safety management practices.
James’ contributions were nothing short of transformative—bringing deep insights, evidence-based knowledge, and practical tools that have strengthened our team’s resilience model. His session encouraged moments of profound reflection and equipped us with actionable strategies to enhance our safety culture for the future.
Jean Denis Marcellin, Chief Pilot
Skyservice Business Aviation Inc.
Author of The Pilot Factor (2025)
AI is transforming aviation—but not without challenges. Dr. James Norman took us on an engaging journey into how AI can shape safety, decision-making, and operations. We gained situational awareness for the future.
Bombardier Safety Standdown
James is an amazing presenter who you can tell is passionate about the material and cares about the class’s experience.
Pilot and participant
Leadership and Advanced Safety Training
I had the wonderful opportunity to work with James at the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) workshop. We integrated Natual Language Processing (NLP) into the FRAM process. It was incredibly rewarding to share ideas and work with a fellow expert.
Dr. Riana Steen
BI Norwegian Business School
The summer solstice in Copenhagen with Erik Hollnagel.