Technology Sector News

For the first time in Australia, autonomous marine technology developers have a location to safely test autonomous vessels without needing to apply for a permit. The Australian Institute of Marine Science’s ReefWorks inshore test range, near Townsville in north Queensland, was granted regulatory sandbox approval for uncrewed vessels from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).It’s the first approval issued under a proposed Australian Maritime Regulatory Sandbox advocated by Trusted Autonomous Systems (TAS), AIMS and AMC Search.

U.S. Commercial Service previews September 20-22 export forum  The growing demand for marine technologies is generating new export possibilities for U.S. companies. To help American businesses pursue these opportunities, the Department of Commerce is hosting Discover Global Markets: The Blue Economy, in Providence, R.I., Sept. 20-22, 2022. International Trade Specialist Maryanne Burke leads the Marine Technology Team of the International Trade Administration (ITA). Maryanne is part of ITA’s U.S.

Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics, developer of autonomous command and control systems for commercial vessels, announced Thursday it has formed a strategic advisory board made up of industry experts to help steer strategic vision and growth.The Boston-based company said it has been growing rapidly and will rely on its new board as it develops new products and creates partnerships.Sea Machines’ advisory board is made up of Rear Admiral Mark Buzby, administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) and retired rear admiral U.S.

Applied Satellite Technology Ltd. (AST) appointed Andrew Peters as Group Managing Director.“Andrew’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for AST, his experience in the technology sector and knowledge of our industry and markets will spearhead our Group in the next stage of our growth," said Gregory Darling, Founder and Chairman.Andrew has held leadership roles in several telecoms and technology organizations, including CEO of Deutsche Telekom UK and Telefonica UK, with significant experience in M&A and business integration.In 2013…

Ingram Marine Group held a re-christening ceremony on August 30 for four towboats that are part of its inland waterways fleet."At Ingram, we name our vessels after Ingram associates and affiliates who have made a huge difference to our business, which makes these events an incredibly special time for all of us," said Orrin Ingram, Chairman of Ingram Barge Company and CEO of Ingram Industries. "I thank the four men being honored for all that they’ve done for Ingram and the marine industry at large…

French energy major Total and Siemens Energy have signed a technical collaboration agreement to study sustainable solutions for CO2 emissions reduction. The collaboration will focus on natural gas liquefaction facilities and associated power generation. "Each partner will bring together their best-in-class technologies and combine their know-how to deliver industrial-stage solutions such as combustion of clean hydrogen in gas turbines, competitive all-electrical liquefaction, optimized power generation…

A new study, ‘A quiet revolution - the maritime innovation ecosystem in Japan’, explores the commitments to Internet of Things (IoT)-based ship and crew management already made by corporate Japan, then goes on to offer unique insights into the country’s emerging start-up culture.The report, sponsored by Inmarsat is the first in a series of in-depth profiles into maritime technology and start-ups in specific countries. It builds on ‘Trade 2.0: How start-ups are driving the next generation of maritime trade’…

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…

Virgin Hyperloop One (VHO) is anticipated to pile in a potential US$4 billion into Saudi Arabia as it strives to make hyperloop transportation a reality.A 35-kilometer test and certification track will be built 100 kilometers north of the Red Sea port of Jeddah, in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) by US tech transport company VHO, which commissioned the study.The study said that a Center of Excellence, if approved, would drive domestic growth by adding to the creation of more than 124,000 high-tech local jobs, supporting the technology sector by incorporating advances in robotics and ArtificiaI Intelligence, and driving an estimated $4 billion increase in Saudi Arabia’s GDP by 2030.Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem…

Britain is set to become a global hub for low-carbon maritime technology, thanks to new government funding.Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani has committed a further GBP1 million to fund new shipping technology projects through MarRI-UK, a consortium of leading maritime organisations."MarRI-UK has already allocated £1 million to support early stage clean maritime projects. Today government is announcing a further £1 million for technology and innovation projects, boosting the wealth of maritime knowledge that exists in the UK to build an industry fit for the future," said a government release.Nusrat Ghani said: "The UK continues to lead the way on the global stage…

The biggest annual gathering of Poland’s maritime industry leaders, the Maritime Economy Forum Gdynia is unveiling its program.The day-long event, now in its 19th year, takes place on October 11 in Gdynia, featuring 30 speakers with 600 senior figures from Poland’s maritime sector and around the world expected to attend.Forum chairman Slawomir Kalicki said the conference will see a morning session examine some of the biggest issues facing the international maritime sector, worth an estimated $3-$6 trillion a year, from an EU, Baltic Sea and Polish perspective.

Imagine a power distribution network where excess renewable energy from hydropower, wind, solar, and nuclear energy is converted to hydrogen and used as transportation fuel in the maritime industry. With the allure of a zero emissions fuel, a number of ship owners are starting to seriously consider hydrogen for newly built vessels. As a bold first step, the country of Norway has provided a number of grants to leading maritime companies to conduct feasibility studies into various aspects of this emerging technology sector. Central to this discussion is “how” hydrogen will be transported from its source to end-users.Norwegian based companies…

Fortune Technologies, a Greek provider of integrated maritime software solutions and Microsoft's Dynamics NAV partner, announced a strategic alliance with RINA, the classification, certification, inspection, testing and consulting multinational, to create value added services for the Greek and global shipping market.RINA aims to further enhance its presence in the maritime market, and in particular within the digital technology sector, by further developing the RINACube digital platform with Fortune Technologies, a leader in IT and maritime ERP systems.By leveraging RINA's network and know-how, as well as Fortune Technologies' specialization in maritime ERP…

An Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) installed on Seven Pacific, a Subsea7 vessel, in 2015 has been upgraded to meet the ballast water treatment system (BWTS) requirements of the United States Coast Guard (USCG).The Norway-based BWTS provider said in a press release that it originally installed its UV-based technology onboard the advanced offshore construction and pipe-laying vessel in 2015. Since that point the 667-m3 market proven system has, according to Seven Pacific Chief Engineer Oddgeir Refvik, been running smoothly, with minimal maintenance and easy operation.Refvik described the upgrade as “very straightforward”. He said: “It only took a couple of hours to perform - basically being a software modification.

UK shipping technology sector will grow to become a GBP 12.8 billion (USD 16.5 bln ) market by 2030 from the current level of  GBP 3.7 billion, revealed a study.A new report commissioned by UK venture fund and think-tank PUBLIC estimated the growth will be fuelled largely by digitalisation of the industry, with technologies such as big data, blockchain, and artificial intelligence creating a new market for digitally enabled maritime services.For the purposes of this report,  shipping technology is defined as the technology that can be applied to make maritime trade processes more efficient and reduce bottlenecks in the flow of goods around the world. For the purposes of market-sizing, this means digital and IT spend (though not exclusively).

With the signature of INEA (Innovation & Networks Executive Agency of the European Commission) on the Grant Agreement of NAVAIS, the project officially started on June, 1 2018. NAVAIS is a multiannual research- and innovation program for the shipbuilding industry. The results of NAVAIS will increase efficiency in design and flexibility in production networks. In total, the European Commission will invest € 6.5 million Euros ($7.5 mln) over a period of four years, by means of the Horizon 2020 program, the research- and innovation program of the European Commission.

A former Montague resident, Elizabeth Reynolds Boyd has always been looking for a way to give back to her home province. The respected naval architect and owner of Nautican Research and Development joined Premier Wade MacLauchlan and Babcock Canada Vice President Jake Jacobson to announce a new advanced marine technology presence in Summerside. The Nautican, Babcock, and provincial partnership province will bring a manufacturing facility and 21 new full-time jobs over the next three years – joining the six employees already on staff – to Slemon Park. “I see Prince Edward Island as the best place for this new manufacturing facility given its location, skilled work force and the efforts of the government to establish the province as a hub for marine business,” Elizabeth Reynolds Boyd said.

A former Montague resident, Elizabeth Reynolds Boyd has always been looking for a way to give back to her home province. The respected naval architect and owner of Nautican Research and Development joined Premier Wade MacLauchlan and Babcock Canada Vice President Jake Jacobson to announce a new advanced marine technology presence in Summerside. The Nautican, Babcock, and provincial partnership province will bring a manufacturing facility and 21 new full-time jobs over the next three years – joining the six employees already on staff – to Slemon Park.

The new Nautican Research and Development manufacturing and integration facility in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, opened in December 2016 with the support of Babcock Canada and the provincial government. The first shipment, a set of rudders, is nearing completion and will soon be delivered to Pacific Fisherman in Seattle. The new facility produces Nautican’s High-Efficiency marine propulsion products. Over the coming years Nautican will progressively transition the manufacturing of its Integrated Propulsion Units (IPUs) to the new facility as well.

Rolls-Royce said it has signed a deal with Swedish ferry company Stena Line AB to collaborate in the development of its first intelligent awareness system. Intelligent awareness systems will make vessels safer, easier and more efficient to operate by providing crew with an enhanced understanding of their vessel’s surroundings, according to Rolls-Royce. This will be achieved by fusing data from a range of sensors with information from existing ship systems; such as Automatic Identification System (AIS) and radar. Data from other sources, including global databases, will also have a role.

The U.S. dollar rose to a three week high against the yen on Friday, on a report of likely further monetary policy easing from the Bank of Japan, while a rise in crude oil prices was offset by poor technology sector earnings, leaving Wall Street stocks steady. The dollar rose more than 2.0 percent against the yen to 111.80 yen, its highest level since April 1 after a media report said the BOJ is considering expanding its negative rate policy to bank loans and could cut rates further. A rise in oil prices helped energy stocks, but disappointing earnings from top technology companies, including Google's parent, Alphabet, weighed on the tech sector on Wall Street, leaving the U.S.'s benchmark S&P 500 stock index little changed for the day.

After evaluating performance in 2017, the German shipping line serving sectors such as pharmaceuticals, the automotive industry and the technology sector in Mexico expects maritime shipping volumes to experience double-digit growth in 2018 and foresees a continuous increase in cargo volumes. On holding its annual meeting with Latin American leaders in Mexico, the shipping line Hapag-Lloyd pointed to significant growth in infrastructure and operational capacities in the country on reporting its year-end closing for 2017. This positive development is thanks to the favorable outlook in maritime transport in Mexico and worldwide. During the current year…

On October 10, 2016, during the Dutch national Sustainability Day, on board of the MS Borelli, a barge that has been converted with electric propulsion, the 178 sustainable maritime solutions powered by the Dutch and collected by Netherlands Maritime Technology (NMT) have been presented. The solutions were handed over to Salima Belhaj (member of the Dutch Parliament party D66) and Brigit Gijsbers (Ministery of Infrastructure & Environment). With this number of solutions the Dutch maritime technology sector shows it can compete against various social challenges. Meteorologist Margot Ribberink from the Meteo Group (member of the association NMT) showed the consequences of climate change, such as the rise of sea level and hurricanes.