Sme News

A new suite of navigation simulators for the Royal Navy will be rolled out this year as part of Project Selborne’s modernization of Royal Navy training.The Kongsberg Digital simulation technology is designed to ensure that Royal Navy personnel can maximize operational effectiveness in all types of situations, from single unit pilotage through to Replenishment at Sea and Task Group maneuvers, day and night and in all weather conditions. The simulators will enable teams to train together with multiple vessels in the same scenarios…

U.K.-based Horizon Technologies is teaming up with Richard Branson's launch and space solutions company Virgin Orbit, the companies announced on Tuesday.Horizon, which provides space-based maritime domain awareness through signals intelligence, has tapped U.S.-based Virgin Orbit to become its preferred launch partner. Horizon will use Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne’s for at least five launches.Also under the deal, Virgin Orbit will take an equity stake in the company, and will appoint…

ClassNK has granted its Innovation Endorsement for Products & Solutions to “SEAWALKER web platform”, the software solution for remote assistance and complex maintenance operations developed by SEAHARMONY LP.In July 2020, to promote the spread and development of innovative technologies, the Society launched Innovation Endorsement as a swift certification service in cooperation with technological front runners to establish appropriate evaluation criteria. Among the certification categories, "Products & Solutions" covers digital equipment and software technology installed for use on vessels.SEAWALKER web platform is a software solution for remote assistance and complex maintenance operations.

Companies challenges innovators to find a solution for lifing, transferring components for offshore wind turbinesMammoet and Offshore Wind Innovators, in cooperation with TKI Wind op Zee, have launched the 5th Offshore Wind Innovation Challenge, which is focused on finding solutions for the safe and efficient transfer of objects from a floating vessel to offshore wind structures, to reduce the cost and the scheduled impact of maintenance. The challenge can be split into three different sub-sections:How do you position the barge…

With effect from April 1, 2021, Dirk Wagner will take over as Managing Director at SCHOTTEL Middle East (SME) assuming the responsibilities of Andrew Bull, who will be leaving the company to pursue other interests outside of SCHOTTEL.Wagner has extensive experience and expertise in the area of ship propulsion. He joined SME when it was founded in 2011. Since then, he has been able to put this expertise to good use while being in charge of building up the SCHOTTEL subsidiary’s after-sales activities and expanding its territories into 23 countries in the MIA region (Middle East…

Proserv Controls signed a strategic alliance with software engineering firm Intelligent Plant, a deal aimed to deliver advanced control systems and data analysis to provide operators with digital solutions tailored to their needs and feedback. The announcement follows a broader industry trend toward leveraging true digitalization to help rationalize efficiencies in the offshore industry. Ultimately the tie-up with Proserv and Intelligent plan will integrate improved visibility of system information…

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) have launched the Maritime Digitalization Playbook (MDP), to support maritime companies in accelerating their digitalization plans as the economy reboots and enters a new normal post-COVID-19.Senior Minister of State for Transport and Health, Dr. Lam Pin Min, said, “This pandemic has accelerated digitalization, regardless whether you are a multinational company or a local SME.

Steve Felder, Managing Director, Maersk South Asia has outlined the developments in 2019 and what we can expect in 2020:“While the global container demand was lower in 2019 due to weaker growth in the global economy, India witnessed a broad-based slowdown in its import export trade as well after a growth of several years. This is aligned closely with the weaker domestic demand, tight liquidity and working capital as well as a reflection of the overall cyclical weakening of the economic environment in all the main global economies.

One Year In: Industry SME (Captain) Pat Folan weighs in from the front lines.It has been an interesting year for towing industry. As the new Subchapter M towboat rule rolled out, it didn’t take long to discover that the regulation wasn’t perfect. As stakeholders look ahead to what comes next, it is also helpful to take a look back at what went right, what didn’t, and more importantly – why.The U.S. Coast GuardThe US Coast Guard does not have the manpower to add more than 5,000 vessels to its workload.

New research into maritime startups concludes that higher bandwidth connecting ships to shore at lower costs is empowering a new breed of single-minded innovators to bring the true benefits of digitalization to the shipping and offshore sectors, according to a report conducted for Inmarsat by UK GovTech venture firm and research house, PUBLIC, The report, ‘Trade 2.0: How Startups are driving the next generation of maritime trade’, co-authored by Nick Chubb and Leonardo Zangrando…

SHIPLYS (Ship life cycle software solutions) is a three-year project that started in September 2016. The project is in response to needs of SME naval architects, shipbuilders and ship-owners, who, in order to survive in the world market, need to improve their capability to reduce the time and costs of design and production. SHIPLYS provides these improvements by developing functionality that includes rapid virtual prototyping and the ability to factor in LCCA (Life Cycle Cost Analysis)…

The Singapore Shipping Association (SSA)—the industry voice of Singapore’s maritime community—today organized its inaugural Tech and Demo Day, during which it announced the formation of a new Digital Transformation Committee.The association said that the Tech and Demo Day aims to help shipping companies—including the small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)—catalyze their adoption of technological innovations by bridging the industry with technology start-ups.The initiative is also part of SSA’s efforts to support the Sea Transport Industry Digital Plan for the ship agency sub-sector driven by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)…

The National Maritime Center is still seeking participants for the three remaining merchant mariner examination working group meetings in 2019.Deck working group – September 10-12Engine working group – October 22-24Deck working group – December 3-5Examination reviews are currently scheduled to take place at the National Maritime Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia. However, dates and locations may change based on the number of attendees.Section 315 of the 2015 Coast Guard Authorization…

UK engineering company JGC Engineering and Technical Serviceshas, on behalf of Siemens, completed the construction of high voltage equipment containers for the Moray East offshore substation platforms."The Moray East offshore windfarm project completed its first fabrication milestone as the Thurso SME engineering firm finalised work on the containers which will be fitted in the three offshore substation platforms," said a press release from Siemens.JGC fabricated eight of 12 containers at its site in Thurso and have also supported Siemens with other offshore projects in the UK.The containers’ total length, height and volume are larger than an Airbus A380 aircraft which highlights the impressive feat Siemens and JGC have completed together.

Since summer 2017, four vessels equipped with analog sonars have been upgraded using RTsys AS3i technology (Analog Surface Ship Sonar Improvement), which digitalized and improved the processing of signals rendered by sensors.Brittany-based company RTSYS does not only deals with AUV, subsea recorders and buoys, but can also display a full range of sonar systems such as handheld devices for divers or sonar retrofit. The latter of which led the French SME to lately offer in summer…

Shipping major AP Moller-Maersk Group's export-import (exim)-focused trade finance arm Maersk Trade Finance is targeting a 33 percent loan disbursal growth at $200 million in 2019 in India.The trade financing solution arm of Danish business conglomerate said that it disbursed a total of USD 0.7 billion globally till date since its inception in 2015, with over 150 million in India in the year 2018, a 53% Y-o-Y increase as compared to 2017.Vipul Sardana, Global Head of Maersk Trade Finance said “Indian SME sector continues to play a significant role in India's economic development. As the sector is gearing up for its digital transformation…

Ship hull biofouling has significant impacts on fleet readiness, ship performance, cost, and the environment. Biofouling results in increased hydrodynamic drag which results in greater fuel use and greater emissions per distance traveled than a hydraulically-smooth hull. A study by Schultz, et al. found the typical fouling rating (FR) of a US Navy DDG-51 class vessel, FR-30, increases fuel consumption by 10.3% over a hydraulically-smooth DDG-51. Results showed that reducing this…

Tuco Marine Group has just launched the SOLAS compliant ProZero Mrk 3 Fast Rescue Boat as part of the carbon fiber-based ProZero line. With its lightweight construction, operational capacity is increased – the rescue craft can respond faster and cover more area over longer periods of time.The new FRC is a third-generation design built around the already well proven ProZero 7,5-meter Fast Rescue Boat. The first two iterations of the 7,5-meter FRC design have been developed and tested thoroughly during the ProZero development project for which Tuco received funding under the Horizon2020 SME Instrument program. This development project ended in 2018, but Tuco Marine has continued to refine the project results and implement them in the ProZero series.

Austal Limited's Philippines shipyard delivered a 50-mcatamaran to Taiwanese Brave Line in what is the company’s first commercial contract in the East Asian country.The catamaran is the first of two 550 passenger Austal-designed vessels being constructed at the company’s Philippines shipyard in Balamban, Cebu. The contract was awarded to Austal by Taiwan’s Brave Line in September 2017. The vessels include an optimized hull form for improved fuel efficiency and passenger comfort.Austal Chief Executive Officer David Singleton said the Austal Philippines team was continuing to demonstrate their capabilities of successfully combining Austal’s…

The evidence and industry subject matter experts both say ‘yes.’In its recently released SAFER SEAS DIGEST, Lessons Learned from Marine Accident Investigations (2017), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports investigating numerous accidents across all modes of transportation where a properly implemented safety management system (SMS) could have prevented injuries, loss of life, or material damage. That document spans analysis of casualties across the full spectrum of all manners of marine craft, blue water and brown, foreign and domestic.Different authorities and subject matter experts (SME) differ on how they might explain a SMS, but it all adds up to one thing. But, what is a Safety Management System?

Schottel, the manufacturer of propulsion and steering systems for ships and offshore applications, has made a strategic decision to merge its tidal energy businesses into Sustainable Marine Energy (SME), including UK subsidiary TidalStream Ltd and Canadian subsidiary Black Rock Tidal Power Inc (BRTP)."Following the successful collaboration between SME, Schottel Hydro and Black Rock Tidal Power to develop and demonstrate the PLAT-I floating tidal energy system, with deployments in Scotland and in Canada, Schottel has made a strategic decision to merge its tidal energy businesses into SME," said a press statement from Sustainable Marine Energy.The provider of tidal energy technology anchor solutions for marine current turbines said that  Schottel  has transferred all its tidal energy assets…

Naval Ship Management (NSM), an existing joint venture between Babcock and UGL, has been awarded the support and sustainment program for two Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs) at the Garden Island Defence Precinct in NSW, following a competitive bidding process.The announcement made today by the Australian Minister for Defence, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, confirmed NSM was selected by the Australian Defence Force to sustain and support two LHDs and twelve LHD Landing Crafts (LLCs) for a period of 15 years.

CorPower and Sustainable Marine Energy join forces for a wave and tidal developer collaboration to develop and demonstrate generic foundation mooring solution to reduce cost and improve O&M methods.The 35-month UMACK (Universal Mooring, Anchor & Connectivity Kit Demonstration) project will address ocean energy affordability, survivability, reliability and installation through the demonstration of a generic anchor-foundation-mooring-connectivity system which aims to reduce capital and installation costs by up to 50%.UMACK is being funded by Scottish Enterprise and the Swedish Energy Agency with co-funding from the OCEANERA-NET COFUND (via the European Commission under Horizon 2020).UMACK brings together leading wave and tidal energy developers…