Research scientist and entrepreneur Sverre Dokken believes laser-based remote sensing has big potential in the maritime domain and could reduce navigational risk by up to 50 per cent.

ChartWorld has announced a cooperation with JRC to add ChartWorld’s Information Overlay service, known as CIO+ onto JRC ECDIS.  

SevenCs, part of the ChartWorld Group, has announced the release of its ORCA Pilot X software. Originally designed as a primary navigation aid for Pilots, ORCA Pilot X is a tool for professional navigators and is being offered as a free download on the Apple AppStore for iOS tablets.

BMT has released details of its next generation ‘Pentamaran’ platform for autonomous applications. Offering a myriad of applications for defence and commercial innovators, these vessels may be custom configured for military, patrol, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and hydrographic survey work.

Wärtsilä has been contracted to upgrade its 11-year old Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System (VTMIS) serving ports in Cyprus.

The new DIMECC Sea for Value programme (S4V) provides blueprints for digitalisation, service innovation and information flows in maritime transport. Its longer-term mission is in preparing for advanced autonomous operations and navigation.

Wärtsilä has delivered a navigation simulator and specific mathematical models to the Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK) in the city of Rauma, Finland.

ChartWorld International has signed a new distribution agreement with Navico Norway and has launched the distribution of Navico charts, also known as C-Map Professional+, as S-63 datasets.

Ship manager Anglo-Eastern has completed the successful roll-out of DNV GL’s Navigator Port to its fleet of more than 600 vessels. 

Navigator Port software is used onboard several thousand ships for management of port documentation, assisting seafarers in navigating the administrative and regulatory complexity of port clearance and passage through controlled waters.

“One of the most time-consuming tasks onboard is preparing port documentation,” said Captain Pradeep Chawla, managing director, QHSE and training at Anglo-Eastern. “We have brought in Navigator Port to reduce the administrative burden and ensure quality of the reporting. This is especially important on ships where the port of call is not known well in advance.”

“The addition of Navigator Port to our ships is part of our overall digital transformation effort across our fleet,” stated Capt. Bjorn Hojgaard, chief executive officer of Anglo-Eastern. “We are evolving our shipboard technologies for the future with smart solutions, and DNV GL’s offering complements our vision for a digitally enhanced fleet.”

Navigator Port facilitates compliance with requirements from charterers and port authorities. Approximately 1,400 port clearance forms are automatically filled in with ship data, so the required paperwork can be prepared in a few minutes. The system reports directly to maritime authorities, such as the Electronic Notice of Arrival/Departure (eNOAD) to the United States Coast Guard, and the Electronic Pre-Arrival Notification (ePAN) to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

In addition, Navigator Port includes a database of information about all the world’s ports and terminals based on publications and data from IHS Markit Ports & Terminals Guide, ADMIRALTY List of Radio Signals (Volume 6) and other sources. In all, paperwork can be reduced by up to 90 per cent.

“We’re very pleased about the successful implementation of Navigator Port across the Anglo-Eastern fleet. Navigator Port makes it easier for the crew to report accurately and efficiently, which ultimately means that they can focus on their primary responsibility: safe and sound navigation,”  said Kenneth Vareide, CEO of DNV GL – Digital Solutions. 

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) has completed its first survey by drone. The survey was carried out in the holds of a bulk carrier in an Italian port.