GE Partners with the Shanghai Maritime University
GE signed an agreement with Shanghai Maritime University (SMU) to help improve the capabilities of the shipping engineering community in China by providing laboratory facilities and cooperating on research and innovation projects.
SMU is a multidisciplinary university that encompasses such areas as engineering, management, economics, law, liberal arts and science, with a special emphasis on shipping technology, economics and management. SMU is one of the leading universities in China and is dedicated to marine and related disciplines; today SMU lists 60,000 graduates, contributing to the rapid growth of the Chinese shipping industry.
Through this cooperation agreement, GE’s Power Conversion business will provide students from SMU with opportunities for internships and training which could lead to future employment. At the same time, GE will benefit from advancing its position in marine electrical propulsion technology.
Joe Mastrangelo, CEO of GE’s Power Conversion business said, “GE supports education and building local capabilities in the countries where we do business, which is part of our philosophy of open innovation. Together with SMU, we will develop talented students as well as offer internships that will offer training and work experience. The program also will train teaching staff of the university and will include site visits and lectures at our other global facilities including those located in the U.K. and France.”
The training program will focus on GE’s core technologies and solutions that integrate complete power and propulsion systems, vessel control and automation systems as well as dynamic positioning.
GE’s Power Conversion business and SMU will invest in and set up laboratory facilities, the first of their kind in China, which will execute jointly agreed research and development programs based on electrical propulsion systems. The cooperation program and the dedicated facilities will form the foundation of training for students, teachers as well as operators and can be extended to customers in the region and the certification of professional technicians.
GE’s Power Conversion business designs and manufactures high-power electrical propulsion solutions based on large high torque density induction machines specifically designed for marine propulsion and fed by the most up to date generation of medium-voltage Press-Pack IGBT (PPI) converters. GE’s propulsion systems can be found in large cruise ships, LNG carriers, research vessels and drilling rigs and are renowned for their efficiency and reliability.
Spin-off benefits from the cooperation agreement will extend into other industries including oil and gas and metallurgy as well as other competencies such as port management and automation.
Additionally, renowned GE management training programs, alongside Six Sigma experience and training, will add value to the technical capabilities being developed.
Mastrangelo said, “The shipbuilding industry in China is capturing a large share of international attention, and environmental demands are changing ship design and propulsion technology. This agreement will help China develop and deliver competitive vessels that must meet exacting international sustainability standards. SMU has a long history and an excellent reputation for cooperation with global institutions and corporations and offers first-class crew training facilities. Together with SMU, we will work on very advanced propulsion and control systems as well as provide education and training for top level operation, inspection and maintenance systems.”
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