Navico Acquires MARIS; Expands Portfolio

Navico Holding AS, parent company to the Simrad brand of navigational marine electronics, has reached an agreement to acquire MARIS (Maritime Information Systems A/S) from The Grieg Group.

MARIS is a supplier of data solutions to the commercial maritime sector related to navigation, voyage optimization and voyage monitoring. With well more than 10,000 navigation systems delivered, MARIS is a supplier of ECDIS systems globally.

The MARIS ECDIS, radar/ARPA overlay to ECDIS, and VDR solutions complement Navico’s Simrad product portfolio, the company said. MARIS electronic chart distribution, chart management, navigation and fleet management data solutions are recognized by leading fleet owners and operators worldwide as some of the most innovative in the industry. Combining MARIS capabilities in telematics solutions for deep sea vessels with Navico’s GoFree on board wireless and telemetry solutions and digital services for recreational and small commercial vessels will establish the marine industry innovation leader for telematics and big data solutions.

Additionally, MARIS brings a service network of more than 70 locations and more than 100 certified ECDIS training centers worldwide to Simrad’s network of over 150 certified dealers. The combination of the service and training networks provides exceptional coverage for the combined customer base.

The full MARIS product portfolio and the MARIS brand will be integrated into the Simrad product portfolio as the Simrad MARIS series. The expanded products and services offer will bring tremendous value for both Simrad and MARIS customers.

Leif Ottosson, President & CEO of Navico Holding AS, commented on the acquisition, said, “The commercial marine market is a strategic priority for our growth ambitions and we intend to continue to make a substantial impact within this sector. Few marine electronics companies today are investing as much as Navico. We see tremendous opportunity for innovation and consolidation in this industry. Adding MARIS to the Navico Group strengthens our strategy to achieve those ambitions.”

Jose Herrero, EVP and Managing Director of Navico’s Commercial Marine Division, said, “With the acquisition of MARIS, we will obtain very strong navigational technologies, a world-class team and a great set of complementary assets, to drive our continued expansion and success within this sector. ECDIS will be a core component in the development towards e-navigation. The strong ECDIS and navigation data services offering of MARIS together with our SIMRAD portfolio of type approved products such as ARPA radar, GNSS, AIS, Autosteering and Gyros, position Navico as a key player to lead that development.”

Ole Berg, CEO of Maris said, "Maris is looking forward to join Navico. We are sure the group will give us the ability to strengthen the offering to our customers in terms of products, services and new technologies. Specifically, we will benefit from Navico’s cost effective and quality proven hardware platform. We also believe that we can add valuable web-based services to already existing digital services of Navico. This acquisition will also offer an attractive opportunity for our employees to become a key part of larger successful organization in our current market."