Technology Qualification on the Route to Autonomy
ABS weighs in on the way forward for marine autonomous systems and navigation technology. The era of digitization and hyper-connectivity is taking the maritime industry on a journey as it transitions from ‘smart’ to remotely operated and then, to autonomous vessels. The OSV sector – and offshore workboats in general – may well be leading that transition, with some projections for remote-controlled vessels as soon as next year. Many new technologies (sensors, navigational systems…
ZF Acquires Bosch Rexroth Industrial Gears Arm
Following the go-ahead from antitrust authorities, on December 1, 2015 ZF has officially taken over the industrial gears and wind turbine gearbox business from Bosch Rexroth AG. With this, some 1,200 employees altogether at the Witten, Beijing and Lake Zurich (USA) locations will thus join the technology company. The purchase price has not been disclosed. For ZF, the acquisition is an entry into the business with large industrial gears that are used in oil rigs, mine vehicles, tunnel drilling machines, or cableways, for instance.
WTS Acquires Tankship & Rig Inert Gas Provider
Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions AS (WTS) acquires Maritime Protection AS, strengthening its safety portfolio for the marine & offshore segments. WTS has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares in Maritime Protection AS (MP). Subject to certain conditions, the transaction will be closed 25 April 2013. "I am very excited that we show our commitment to the maritime industry and its customers, with our second acquisition in six months,” says Petter Traaholt, President Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions (WTS).
MacGREGOR Forms Offshore Division
The MacGREGOR Group recently unveiled details of its new offshore division, a division made possible by the recent acquisitions of Hydramarine in Norway and Plimsoll in Singapore. The Offshore division will comprise more than 660 employees: 160 in Norway and 500 in Asia. In 2006, Hydramarine and Plimsoll had a combined turnover of approximately €104 million and a order backlog of €175 million. Both Hydramarine and Plimsoll are financially consolidated into the MacGREGOR Group as of April 1, 2007. According to the company, there are a number of strong synergies in combining Hydramarine and Plimsoll into one new business division. Business-wise…
MacGREGOR Adds to Offshore Portfolio
MacGREGOR’s expansion into the offshore support sector continues with its latest acquisition, Vestnorsk Hydraulikkservice AS (VNH). The company is a service and turn-key system supplier to the offshore and marine industries, its main focus being offshore hydraulics service and products. VNH has a 1,100m² workshop suitable for service of hydraulic equipment in Ågotnes, west of Bergen, Norway. The company has net sales of €4.5 million and employs 21 people. Vestnorsk Hydraulikkservice AS is today owned by Vestnorsk Holding AS. VNH works fully in the offshore industry and carries out installation, troubleshooting and repairs on and off shore. About 80 per cent of its revenue comes from service, the rest from various hydraulic turn-key projects.
