Maritime Technology News

Shipping must engage with the decarbonization realities that lie ahead by changing the way it crafts maritime legislation to reflect its place in the interconnected, interdependent world economy, says Eero Lehtovaara, Head of Regulatory & Public Affairs, ABB Marine & Ports.ABB Marine & Ports Head of Regulatory & Public Affairs, Eero Lehtovaara has carved out an unusual - and possibly unique - role in the maritime industry over recent years, as a ‘stakeholder’ simultaneously mindful of the perspectives of owners…

The Maritime International Advisory Panel (IAP) held its third annual meeting on April 16, 2024, during the Singapore Maritime Week 2024. This year, the Maritime IAP held in-depth discussions on the key developments in the maritime sector, including decarbonization, green financing, digitalization and cybersecurity.Established in 2022 by the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the Maritime IAP aims to seek international perspectives on key long-term trends and developments that will shape the maritime industry.

Maritime technology companies Helm Operations and Spinergie announced they are teaming up to create a fully integrated fleet optimization platform and centralized source of record keeping.The partnership will integrate vessel management system data from Helm Operations' Helm CONNECT into Spinergie's Smart Fleet Management, including logbook entries, engine room readings, and other essential sources. When combined with Spinergie’s data streams, including AIS, GPS, custom GIS Maps…

Rapid technological change, complex regulation and competitive pressures are driving digital transformation in the shipping industry. But navigating a confusing software landscape can be difficult, and sound decision-making is essential to minimize innovation risk, according to OrbitMI.Industry spending has soared in recent years on intelligent process automation solutions geared to boosting efficiency, reducing costs, curbing emissions and improving safety for shipping companies…

Compliance, performance, profitability, sustainability; take the biggest ‘pain points’ for almost any shipping company and watch NAVTOR’s digital ecosystem work wonders. Here Tor Svanes, Founder and CEO, explains how NAVTOR has grown to lead the smart shipping world, why the recent merger with Voyager Worldwide was so critical, and how he hopes to help steer the industry towards brighter, simpler, and more intelligent horizons.“The morning of the announcement I got a text from the boss of one of our biggest competitors…

The maritime industry, often viewed as conservative and measured in its approach to technological integration, is on the cusp of a transformative era with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a prominent player. Insights from key exhibitors at the upcoming Posidonia Shipping Εxhibition reveal a new landscape, where industry leaders strategically align with the inexorable rise of AI and consider adopting it already.According to Theodore Vokos, Managing Director, Posidonia Exhibitions S.A.…

QatarEnergy has named the first LNG carrier to be delivered as part of its new LNG fleet expansion program as Rex Tillerson, in recognition of the former Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, who also served as the 69th United States Secretary of State.During his 10-year term as Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, Tillerson oversaw the consolidation of relations with the State of Qatar and its energy sector, resulting in strategic partnerships and significant investments in Qatar’s LNG industry.While making his mark on the global energy scene…

Maritime technology company Orca AI has calculated that its automated situational awareness platform achieved significant operational gains for clients in 2023, including a 172,716-tonnes reduction in CO2 emissions and fuel savings.The drop was attributed to fewer sharp manoeuvres and speed drops, as well as an overall reduction in the number of potential incidents and collisions avoided.The analysis was carried out on 15 million nautical miles-worth of data collected in open waters by 267 customer vessels – comprising tankers…

A maritime technology company based in Aberdeen has been awarded funding from Scottish Enterprise to support the development of an app-based version of its breakthrough draft survey technology. Tymor Marine’s DRFT MRKS software uses artificial intelligence with deep learning applied to video capture to provide an accurate measurement of the weight and load of a vessel.The grant funding from Scottish Enterprise will allow Tymor’s team to build on the operational capabilities of the software…

Shipping must engage with the decarbonization realities that lie ahead by changing the way it crafts maritime legislation to reflect its place in the interconnected, interdependent world economy, says Eero Lehtovaara, ABB Marine & Ports.ABB Marine & Ports Head of Regulatory & Public Affairs, Eero Lehtovaara has carved out an unusual - and possibly unique - role in the maritime industry over recent years, as a ‘stakeholder’ simultaneously mindful of the perspectives of owners, seafarers…

In a climate of increasing complexity, with new regulations, environmental concerns and commercial considerations, how can owners and operators control their fleets, and futures, from dry land? NAVTOR’s Tor Håkon Svanes believes the answer lies in innovation and integration – developing solutions that evolve in line with the needs of a dynamic global industry.“There are smarter ways to do things.”Tor Håkon Svanes, the NavFleet Product Manager at NAVTOR, is referring to a recent chat with a new customer.The unnamed fleet manager…

UK-headquartered shipowner Purus has selected DNV to class its two Very Large Ethane Carriers (VLEC) newbuilds.The vessels have been contracted at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in South Korea and scheduled for delivery in 2026-2027.With a cargo carrying capacity of 98,000cbm, the two VLECs will be fitted with GTT’s Mark III membrane containment system.The vessels will be equipped with dual-fuel ethane engines and optimized cargo handling systems to reduce emissions and will also be EEDI Phase III compliant.Once delivered…

Martin Bloem will start as Group Director Corporate Affairs at Damen Shipyards Group effective January 1, 2024 a new position at the largest shipbuilding concern in the Netherlands.Bloem was involved with the shipbuilding sector when working for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and he was later the general director of the industry association Netherlands Maritime Technology. After that, he took up a position as a partner at the strategic maritime consultancy Marstratand held public-private positions in the Rotterdam region.

As maritime faces transcendent changes in terms of decarbonization and automation, Juha Kytölä, Director of R&D and Engineering, Wärtsilä, discusses how this Finnish maritime technology powerhouse is investing in the technologies and facilities that will drive the maritime industry for the coming generation, including insights on its unique arrangement for a future fuel engine testbed onboard Wasaline’s MS Aurora Botnia.To start off, can you give a scope of the Wärtsilä R&D investment?We invest heavily in research and development, about 4.1% of our annual turnover.

NAVTOR  announced a breakthrough revamp of its Passage Planning module. Featured in the latest release of NAVTOR’s NavStation planning software (version 6.3), the new module offers expanded automation and auto-calculations, effectively slashing both administration time and the potential for human errors, compliance with the very latest industry standards, enhanced data utilisation, the ability to revise and update plans (rather than creating new ones after voyage deviations/changes)…

METIS Cyberspace Technology appointed Panos Theodossopoulos as its new Chief Executive Officer.Theodossopoulos has considerable experience in leadership roles in the ICT and maritime sectors. In recent years, he has specialized in maritime digitalization, co-founding a maritime tech start-up in 2015 and later serving as Chief Digital Officer at OceanKing, a marine technical and commercial group. Previous positions include Director of Public Sector Sales at Microsoft Hellas and General Manager Cloud Divisionat SingularLogic.Eleni Polychronopoulou…

The IMO and the European Commission (EC) have announced a second phase of the Global Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres Network (GMN) project, with funding from the EU.The aim of the second phase is to upscale the work of the five regional centres, with a particular emphasis on pilot demonstrations aimed at achieving quantifiable reductions in GHG emissions.The GMN Phase II project follows the successful Phase I which established the five Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres (MTCCs), in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific.

A new training project will prepare seafarers for zero or near-zero emission ships, helping the global shipping industry decarbonize and ensure a just transition for seafarers.Research commissioned by the Maritime Just Transition Task Force identified that 800,000 seafarers may require additional training by the mid-2030s to operate vessels run on zero or near zero emission fuels.The training framework, funded through the IMO and Lloyd’s Register Foundation, will equip seafarers with skills in decarbonization…

A new marine insurance facility for Ukrainian grain exports using the country's sea corridor has been set up in conjunction with Ukraine's authorities, insurance broker Miller said on Tuesday.Russia quit a U.N.-backed deal in July to enable exports from Ukraine to sail from three approved ports.Since then, Kyiv has launched what it calls a new temporary humanitarian corridor in an effort to break Russia's de facto blockade. Two ships have sailed in the recent days from the Ukrainian…

NAVTOR, an e-Navigation and performance technology provider to the maritime industry, and Voyager Worldwide, a provider of maritime technology solutions, have agreed to merge.The combined company will deliver products and solutions to approximately 18,000 vessels globally. The transaction is expected to close by December 2023.Both companies provide maritime technology solutions that enable shipping companies to improve safety, efficiency, compliance, and operational performance…

NAVTOR, an e-Navigation and performance technology provider to the maritime industry, said Wednesday it was aiming to simplify CII compliance with the latest release of its NavFleet ship operations platform. Featuring an advanced Emissions Simulator, designed to help shipping companies predict and optimize environmental impact and performance across entire fleets, NavFleet 1.8 delivers operational insights built on high-quality, dual-validated data, the company said.The result…

NAVTOR opened its 11th office with the arrival of NAVTOR Hellas. The Athens-based operation, situated at the Port of Piraeus, is an evolution of an existing, long-standing partnership with distributor Space Electronics. CEO Tor Svanes says the move demonstrates the importance of this key shipping market to his ambitious maritime technology firm.Space Electronics has represented NAVTOR in the local market for over a decade. Key offerings now include: fleet management and performance platform NavFleet…

South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and leading classification society DNV have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at Kormarine, committing to establishing SHI's state-of-the-art Remote Operation Centre (ROC) for real-time monitoring and control of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS). The MOU will underpin DNV and Samsung Heavy Industries’ collaboration to drive innovation and redefine the future of marine transportation, DNV said.The joint venture seeks to develop a Remote Operation Center (ROC) for MASS…