Communications Technology News

Digitalization in the maritime industry continues to grow. Technology is constantly evolving, providing organizations with new ways to transform and manage their operations with adoption of technology creating first-mover advantage and future relevancy, and positivity impacting margins. The offshore services industry has been a major driver in the trend towards utilization of remote inspection and monitoring technology for Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance (IRM) of critical assets and infrastructure.

Survey, positioning and data management firm UTEC, part of the Acteon Group, is targeting the offshore wind survey and inspection market with a new uncrewed surface vessel (USV).Torsten Marten, lead surveyor, UTEC, outlined the new design at the Marine Autonomous Technology Showcase (MATS), at the National Oceanography Center (NOC) in Southampton, UK, early November.It’s a 12m-long, “DP equivalent” catamaran design, developed to offer a stable platform for survey and inspection operations…

Satellite communications technology solutions provider Intellian announced a multimillion-dollar, multi-year partnership agreement with satellite communications service provider Speedcast, enabling the companies to collaborate in serving multiple markets with satellite connectivity, including the maritime and energy sectors.As part of the agreement, Intellian will continue to provide equipment to Speedcast as a preferred supplier, ensuring delivery to meet customer needs, despite volatile supply chain constraints.

Remote surveys have become more commonplace with the arrival of COVID-19, and based on its experience performing many of these surveys, classification society ClassNK has released its updated “Guidelines for Remote Surveys (Ver. 3.0)”.Available to download for free from ClassNK’s website, “The Guidelines for Remote Surveys” stipulate applicable survey items and requirements for the use of information and communications technology (ICT) to ensure reliability equivalent to conventional witness surveys with transparency in the application of remote surveys…

Singapore based shipping company Pacific International Lines (PIL) is installing satellite communication, or VSAT, on its entire fleet as part of its digitalization efforts to enhance seafarer wellbeing and improve productivity on board its ships. Communications technology group Singtel said it is one of the partners providing PIL with communications and cybersecurity solutions for 33 vessels in PIL’s fleet.“As a progressive company, PIL is constantly looking for ways to achieve business excellence and optimize operational efficiency.

As the shipping industry undergoes major transformation, with operations becomingly increasingly automated, maritime companies need to consider more than just efficiency and safety when it comes to operations. The current global situation has resulted in a growing demand for crew communication, for both work and social purposes, alongside the ongoing need for optimization. All of this causes higher levels of traffic on maritime networks, forcing shipping operators to place an…

Finland's Aalto University and the compatriot  shipbuilding company Meyer Turku have signed an agreement that will strengthen and develop multidisciplinary research and education collaboration as well as give a boost to expert cooperation."We want Finland to be the leading country in maritime technology and science development in the world. At the same time, we are constantly looking to attract new talent to work for us and so need to be present at Aalto campus and in the academic lives of the students. The agreement is a very natural extension to the already good cooperation with Aalto University," Meyer Turku CEO Jan Meyer said. "The combination of different fields and close multidisciplinary collaboration of Aalto University are an excellent foundation for innovation…

Norwegian offshore services and supply vessel company Solstad Offshore has renewed its connectivity contract with Marlink, committing 65 offshore vessels to Sealink, Marlink’s high-throughput Ku-band VSAT service. Solstad’s vessels will be provided with Sealink Services and L-band backup to ensure seamless global connectivity.Solstad sought a flexible, customized service to meet the diverse demands of its offshore support vessel (OSV) fleet, Marlink said. Building on more than 10 years of partnership…

Yanmar Engineering announced the deployment of SHIPSWEB, a tool for management of auxiliary engines on ocean-going vessels. SHIPSWEB incorporates elements of artificial intelligence and advanced information and communications technology (ICT) to efficiently manage the operation of large auxiliary diesel engines.SHIPSWEB has the capacity to extract data in a variety of formats so that on-board performance management data and parts wear measurements, whether in various electronic formats or uploaded to the system from written records…

Japan's largest carriers of containerized and other cargo Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) announced an agreement for joint development of the next-generation engine failure sign diagnosis application, in partnership with ClassNK Consulting Service, IHI Power Systems, and Mitsui E&S Machinery.The four companies are looking to develop the application by fusing ClassNK's "CMAXS LC-A/e-GICSX"(CMAXS) and MOL's FOCUS "Fleet Optimal Control Unified System", which is intended to enhance safe operation and reduce environmental impact through advanced information and communications technology (ICT).The four companies will unite to develop a system called "Fleet Guardian…

Japanese shipping line Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) collaborated with Oki Electric Industry (OKI), to launch a joint study on the use of OKI's bird's-eye view monitoring system to monitor a 360° field of view around a tugboat.The system was installed on the tugboat Asaka Maru and a preliminary experiment was conducted, said a press release.As a tugboat approaches a large vessel for assistance, only a small part of the vessel's hull can be seen from tug's bridge, and therefore, the tugboat relies on instructions through the radio from the pilot onboard the target vessel.The experiment was done in a situation with OKI's "FlyingView" setting four fish-eye cameras on the mast…

Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines announced the joint development, along with SenseTime Japan, of a new vessel image recognition and recording system, and the system’s installation for demonstration testing aboard the cruise ship "Nippon Maru" operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Passenger Line.The system’s graphic recognition engine was developed by incorporating MOL’s knowledge and applying artificial intelligence (AI) deep learning technology, allowing it to recognize surrounding vessels.The system recognizes and automatically records vessels with high accuracy using a terminal equipped with a graphic processing unit (GPU) and ultrahigh-resolution cameras.The image recognition technology…

The provider of information and communications technology (ICT) for the maritime industry eMARINE Global  signed a contract with the Republic of Korea Navy for the maintenance of its Anti-Submarine Warfare Team Trainer (ASWTT) at the Jin-Hae Naval Base.The contract is valued at an estimated 920 million won (US$0.76 million), said the Maritime ICT Provider based in South Korea which also have operations in the US.eMARINE has maintained the ASWTT virtual reality simulator, used to simulate battles between warships and submarines, since 2017. The simulator technology was developed by Sindel, an Italian technology company.“eMARINE in an advantageous position to secure work on the second ASWTT installation planned for the Dong-Hae Naval Base,” stated Ung Gyu Kim, Chairman and CEO.

With 13.6 million tonnes of container freight handled, April of this year was the best month ever for the Port of Rotterdam. The previous record month was August 2018 (13.2 million tonnes)Measured in TEU, the standard unit for containers, April 2019 was the second-best month ever, with 1.3 million TEU, just a fraction lower than the record month of August 2018.Rotterdam has expanded to become Europe’s largest container port, partly because of its excellent depth, Europe’s largest sea port said in a press release.The Port of Rotterdam Authority is participating in the 2019 Transport & Logistics trade fair in Munich from 4 to 7 June. Digital…

Yanmar has undertaken development of underlying technologies for robotic boats and auto-docking, technologies that are expected to see service in operations in dangerous waters, maritime surveys, or smart fisheries.While development of autonomous vehicles for the road and the farm continues apace, maritime robotics technologies have yet to become established. With long established track record of R&D in various fields of robotics and IT, Yanmar has been working to meld the hardware…

The provider of information and communications technology for the maritime industry eMARINE Global announced its second contract with Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction (HHIC) to deliver its Warship Electronic Chart Display & Information System (WECDIS) for four new Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy patrol ships.The maritime ICT provider in South Korea said in a press release that in 2018, it  successfully delivered on the first phase of this project, installing its innovative WECDIS technology on the first four patrol ships. The ROK Navy has ordered a total of 12 patrol ships from HHIC.“We are pleased to continue our work with HHIC and the ROK Navy…

This month we caught up with Jeong-kie Lee, Chairman and CEO of the Korean Register and also the Chairman of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), for his insights on the dominant trends moving the maritime industry into the future.The maritime industry has been challenged, to say the least. Today, where do you see challenge? Where do you see opportunity?The maritime industry is in a state of extreme upheaval, with private and public organizations having to deal with a wide range of ever changing…

Communications technology and services developer Rock Seven said it has partnered with Blue Sky Network, a provider of mission-critical, satellite-based fleet management, tracking and operational analytics solutions serving private, commercial and government customers worldwide.This long-term cooperation will support growth in Blue Sky Network’s maritime strategy, but additionally has ramifications for clients in the aviation and land sectors.Headquartered in San Diego with a wholly-owned subsidiary in Brazil…

ABS facilitated a Polar Code Operational Assessment, a milestone in the implementation of the IMO Polar Code. The assessment, which identifies operational risks and limitations, was performed with TE SubCom, a TE Connectivity Ltd. company and an industry pioneer in undersea communications technology, on its cable-laying vessel, Responder. “Completing this assessment is a critical milestone for the marine industry and the first of its kind in North America,” says ABS Chairman, President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. To obtain a Polar Ship Certification (PSC), vessels undergo an assessment that defines the intended operational profile and identifies relevant hazards.

Companhia Brasileira de Offshore (CBO) has chosen Cobham SATCOM VSAT and Satellite TV (TVRO) antennas in addition to radio communication equipment for installation on six new Offshore Support Vessels (OSV). CBO’s state-of-the-art new OSVs have been commissioned to fulfil development contracts offshore Brazil and will be entering service during 2017 and 2018. The Cobham SATCOM equipment has been installed and is already supporting operations on the first of the new OSVs, with installation aboard the second vessel scheduled this month.

A second Articulated Tug Barge unit (ATB) Paul McLernan and the 155,000-barrel barge 155-02 for Houston-based tank barge operator Kirby Corporation has been delivered by Sturgeon Bay, Wisc. shipyard Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS), a subsidiary of Fincantieri Marine Group. Following the delivery of the first ATB in the fall of 2016, the recent delivery completes a contract signed in July 2014. “Our contract with Kirby to build a pair of ATBs was significant for our FBS team,” said Todd Thayse, FBS vice president and general manager.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) announced that MOL and Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding have been jointly developing practical use applications and commercialization of the "next-generation ship management support system" and the current data collection and monitoring systems, providing the basis for an advanced new system, have upgraded the functionality. This initiative will allow enhanced operating support from shore-side systems and personnel. The two companies are working to reduce environmental impact of vessel operation by preventing problems and reducing the consumption of oil consumption, such as bunker fuel oil, which in turn cuts exhaust emissions. Details of the upgrades are as follows. This prevents problems by visually identifying abnormal values in onboard instruments.

The newly built containership MV COSCO Shipping Aries, recently delivered to COSCO Shipping Lines, is the first ever containership to receive Lloyd’s Register’s (LR) cyber-enabled ship (CES) descriptive note “Cyber AL3 SECURE PERFORM” for its energy management system. The 20,000 TEU ship was built by Nantong COSCOS KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd (NACKS). “MV COSCO Shipping Aries is the first 20K TEU level ultra large containership built in Chinese shipyard owned by COSCO Shipping Container Lines.