Technology Leadership News

Brunswick Corporation announced it has appointed Alexandra Cattelan as its chief technology officer, effective immediately. Cattelan will be responsible for continuing to advance Brunswick’s ACES strategy and, more generally, for maintaining Brunswick’s position of technology leadership in the marine industry.Cattelan has more than three decades of experience leading electric propulsion and advanced mobility programs and organizations, most recently serving as vice president, engineering, connected, controls, electrification and autonomous systems for Polaris Industries.

Inmarsat ORCHESTRA, the future network for global mobility and government communications, achieved its first milestone in space today with the successful activation of a low earth orbit (Inmarsat ORCHESTRA) satellite payload.The LEO satellite is testing new concepts and system configurations for ORCHESTRA’s proposed LEO constellation, which will seamlessly integrate with geosynchronous orbit (GEO) and highly elliptical orbit (HEO) satellites, and a terrestrial 5G network, to deliver…

ABB’s A200-L turbochargers will be used on MAN Energy Solutions’ 5G70ME-C10.5-GA engines destined for six 174,000m3 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers ordered by four shipowners – Korea Line Corp, PAN Ocean, Knutsen OAS and JP Morgan – under a long-term charter agreement with Shell.The ME-GA is MAN’s first low-pressure dual-fuel two-stroke engine. It sits alongside MAN’s well-established high-pressure ME-GI engines, offering LNG carriers and other vessels an alternative way to cut greenhouse gas emissions and minimize air pollution at lower capital cost.

Mathieu Philippe has been appointed to the new position of Commercial Director – Marine at classification society Bureau Veritas. Returning to Paris, where he started his career in shipping, Philippe brings extensive experience in commercial ship operations, markets and management to Bureau Veritas. He reports to Marine & Offshore President Matthieu de Tugny, and leads the marine markets team, providing expertise and technology leadership across all major ship types, ship fuel and propulsion technology.With growing compliance requirements and demands for transparency…

Paul Cooke, President and CEO of Bosch Rexroth North America, based in Charlotte, NC, USA, will retire on December 31, 2020 after 38 years of service in various international positions within Bosch Rexroth. His successor as of December 1, 2020 will be Greg Gumbs, most recently Vice President & General Manager Electrical Automation Solutions at EATON Corporation. Gumbs will join Bosch Rexroth effective September 1, 2020 in preparation for his future responsibility and will be based at Bosch Rexroth North American headquarters in Charlotte…

Korean Register (KR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) to conduct a joint study on “Ship Cyber Security Network Construction and Design Safety Evaluation” at the Marine Engineering Research Center of SHI.Under the MOU, the two organizations have agreed to evaluate the construction and design safety of cyber security networks applicable to new ships. In addition, they will jointly study technologies that can respond to cyber threats faced by ships…

Brunswick Corporation has announced that its Sea Ray, Boston Whaler and Mercury Marine brands have set multiple records during the 2019 Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show. Sea Ray, which launched an all-new 320 Sundancer Coupe at Ft. Lauderdale, saw a massive 80 percent increase in show sales from a year ago, demonstrating the success of its reinvention strategy. Boston Whaler continues to benefit from significant year-over-year sales growth in September and October, leading to a very successful Ft.

Finland's Konecranes, which specialises in the manufacture and service of cranes and lifting equipment for the ports and terminal industry, has announced the launch of three new lifting products that refresh its portfolio.The additions to their portfolio include the innovative new S-series, which uses a synthetic rope to delivers enhanced lifting performance and longer-lasting use. S- and M-series cranes will offer real-time data and insight via the yourKONECRANES customer portal to improve usage visibility and help anticipate maintenance needs“The launches reflect the strength and depth of our expanded portfolio following the MHPS acquisition…

ABS Chairman, President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki spoke about the important role of the U.S. continuing to shape the future of global maritime energy, safety and sustainability during a keynote address at the opening session of the CMA Shipping 2019 Conference.“The U.S. energy landscape has been and will continue to be shaped by a relentless focus on improving technology and safety. When we speak about shaping the future of maritime energy use, we are really speaking about technology and safety driving energy leadership,” Wiernicki told attendees.

Laura Martin, VP of Sales & Client Relations at MarineCFO, has earned her certification as a SubChapterM and ISM Lead Auditor.“MarineCFO is committed to the inland and offshore maritime marketplace”, said Laura Martin. ”We feel it’s important to not only understand the needs of the vessel operators but also to put ourselves in the shoes of the safety inspectors and auditors who serve them so we can better understand how to provide products that contribute to the safety of our customers and prospective customers.”Through a week-long course led by Decatur Marine…

In a continuing effort to raise awareness and promote good cyber hygiene in the maritime industry, MarineCFO will release an actionable set of checklists to fleets running the Vessel 365 platform. The checklists are designed to engender cybersecurity into the psyche of mariners, DPAs, TPOs, inspectors, as well as shoreside personnel. They offer a concise but simple way for mariners to undergo cyber training, record those events, memorialize lessons learned, perform cyber drills and improve the physical and digital security of the vessel.

ABS announced three senior management appointments as part of the organization’s digital class strategy. “As our markets are increasingly shaped by digital technology, ABS is setting the pace in digital innovation,” said ABS Chairman, President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. “As part of our digital class journey, our entire organization is focused on digital developments and opportunities. Howard Fireman, previously the organization’s chief technology officer, will take on the role of ABS Chief Digital Officer (CDO) leading a global team of experts across the organization in the fields of data analytics, innovative inspection technologies…

ABB has unveiled a new situational awareness solution that aims to make vessel operations safer and more efficient. The solution can be used by officers anywhere onboard a ship and marks the next step towards remotely controlled and ultimately autonomous ships. ABB Ability Marine Pilot Vision takes advantage of the latest advances in sensor technology and computer vision to offer multiple real-time visualizations of a vessel’s surroundings and new ways of perceiving its situation.

Classification society ABS unveiled its Global Ship Systems Center and announced the formation of its Hellenic Technical Committee in Athens. “This cutting-edge facility brings together industry-recognized technical leaders to support clients throughout the entire lifecycle of their assets,” said ABS Chairman, President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. Through a systems-based approach, the Global Ship Systems Center addresses the increasing complexity of mechanical and cyber-enabled systems onboard vessels.

ABS, a provider of classification and technical services to the marine and offshore industries, held its annual Hellenic National Committee meeting in Athens, Greece in June. “As the recognized classification leader in Greece, we bring together the best and brightest industry leaders for transparent, robust and engaging conversation related to key industry issues,” said ABS Chairman, President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. The committee meeting provides a forum for ABS Members…

Since 2004, well construction costs in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) have doubled, directly impacting drilling activity which is currently at an all-time low. However, collective industry efforts are already focusing in on how a reduction in core drilling costs of 50 per cent could potentially unlock around five billion boe of known reserves over the next decade. The significant work the industry is doing through the Technology Leadership Board (TLB) to address the well cost reduction challenge, will feature in a forthcoming event organized by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Aberdeen section on September 21 at Aberdeen’s Douglas Hotel.

ABB has appointed Guido Jouret as Chief Digital Officer, reporting to ABB’s CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer, effective October 1, 2016. Jouret, a pioneer of the Internet of Things, will lead the next level of development and deployment of ABB’s digital solutions for customers globally and across all businesses. Jouret is a citizen of both the United States and Belgium, with long experience in Silicon Valley. He served for 20 years at Cisco after obtaining a PhD in Computer Science. His most recent role at Cisco was as General Manager of the Internet of Things division, which aims to connect billions of devices to the internet across a wide range of industries.

ABS held its Annual Meeting on April 26, 2016 in New York, where Chairman, President & CEO Christopher J. In 2015, the ABS-classed fleet surpassed 230 million gross tons (mgt), a nearly five percent growth from the previous year. The largest areas of expansion for the class society came from the tanker, gas carrier, containership, bulk carrier, offshore support vessel and offshore production unit sectors. In total, more than 841 new assets entered the ABS-classed fleet, bringing its total to 12,614 assets.

Drew Marine, a provider of technical solutions and services for the maritime, defense and aviation industries, announced its acquisition of NAL Research Corporation, a designer and manufacturer of Iridium tracking and communications equipment. The financial terms of the acquisition were not released. NAL Research will team up with ACR Electronics, Inc., a brand of Drew Marine known as a leader in safety and survival technologies. The acquisition allows Drew Marine to expand its footprint into the Iridium tracking and communication product offering. NAL brings an experienced research and development team that specializes in Iridium satellite modems and tracking terminals from design through integration for the defense, research and commercial sectors.

The Applied Technology Group (ATG) describes is a team established with the goal of providing expanding technology leadership capabilities, multidisciplinary consulting services, the development of engineering analysis software and specialized contract research services in Canada and globally across the Lloyd’s Register (LR) Group. The Lloyd’s Register Applied Technology Group consists of 50 people in two locations in Canada, - Halifax, Nova Scotia and in Ottawa. •Public Safety: The development and application of explosive modeling and structural response analysis to protect soldiers, civilians and critical assets. •Survivability: Supporting the safe and effective operations of complex integrated marine assets throughout their operational profile.

Kjeld Dittmann, the Managing Director of Lyngsø Marine A/S, is the new Chairman of the European Ships and Maritime Equipment Association (SEA Europe). He succeeds Govert Hamers, CEO of Vanderlande Industries in the Netherlands, who has completed his term as Chairman. The announcement was made at the SEA Europe Annual General Meeting in Istanbul on June 26 hosted by the Turkish Association of Ship Industrialists (full member of SEA Europe). “SEA Europe has established a strong voice in Brussels for both Europe’s shipyards and equipment suppliers…

The Head of Class: Christopher J. The global maritime industry faces myriad challenges in the ongoing quest to run safe, profitable operations in an oftentimes tumultuous environment. More than ever vessel owners are faced with daunting regulatory and technical challenges, and the world’s leading classification societies remain the foundation upon which successful marine operations are built. Last month we visited with Christopher J. Wiernicki, the head of ABS and the newly elected head of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), for insight and analysis.

Volvo Penta of the Americas today announced the appointment of Western Branch Diesel as an authorized marine Power Center. The company will be responsible for sales and service of Volvo Penta marine engines in Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio. Founded in 1946, Western Branch Diesel is headquartered in Portsmouth, Va., just a few miles from Volvo Penta’s headquarters in Chesapeake, Va. The company has facilities in 10 locations in five states, with more than 280 employees, including over 150 technicians. Western Branch Diesel services major brands of diesel engines, transmissions and gensets for marine, on-highway, construction, power generation, oil/gas, mining and other industrial sectors.