Increased Technology News

New research from Lloyd's Register Energy explores the drivers for technology and innovation in the global oil and gas industry. The Technology & Innovation Radar survey results are released today, May 5, 2014, from booth #2173 at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston by Lloyd’s Register Energy. It provides insight into the adoption and development of new technologies which are fundamental for the advancement of the Oil and Gas sector in addressing the global demand for energy, and to cope with the environmental challenges in the decades ahead.

The crew of Coast Guard Station Lorain show their new Response Boat-Medium to press and public at their Lake Erie station. Crew members say they have have been running tests on Lake Erie and have found that the RB-M responds faster than previous boats of similar size, with a top speed in excess of 40 knots. It also is equipped with advanced search capability, including forward-looking infrared search technology. It can handle waves up to 12 feet and can carry as many as 25 people.

The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) aims to achieve for the shipping industry what increased technology has so far failed to deliver, namely a reduction in the 80% of accidents on board ship attributable to human error. Proper training and evaluation can make a real difference to these damning statistics and Videotel‘s newly launched STCW training programs provide the tools to assist the ship owner and manager make a real difference.

Newly merged company will track and monitor half the world’s ships. Pole Star Space Applications Limited (“Pole Star”), Absolute Software Inc. and Absolute Maritime Tracking Services Inc. (“Absolute”) today announced that the merger of the three organisations has been completed. The enlarged global business, headquartered in West London, will provide a combination of monitoring and security related services to more than 35,000 vessels - half the world’s international fleet. Combining Pole Star’s award-winning expertise in systems for commercial fleets…

The UK P&I Club recently completed a series of three short articles which provide a user friendly guide to the mystery surrounding electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS). These have now been consolidated into a 16-page booklet "ECDIS - Navigational and claims issues" that is available in hard copy from the Club or as a .pdf file from the club's website. While the booklet is not really intended for navigators, it should, the Club believes, be of great value to…