Dry bulk and tanker company Scorpio Group has confirmed a deal with Sea IT for its BlueCORE ICT solution, covering IT equipment purchasing and warehousing, onboard deployment and day to day maintenance.

Marlink’s high-speed internet services for vessels plying the Northwest Passage and other remote destinations has delivered a major connectivity boost to its expedition cruise clients.  

OneWeb has announced plans to deliver 375 Gbps of capacity above the 60th parallel North, bringing high-speed, low-latency internet service to the Arctic.

As the global shipping industry learns that the UK-flagged Stena Impero seized by Iranian forces in July was 'spoofed' and begins to accept the extent to which vessels unprepared for a cyber event can be affected, Itai Sela, CEO of cybersecurity pioneer Naval Dome, says that original equipment manufacturers are not doing enough to provide end users with the level of protection required to secure critical systems.

A constellation of satellites jointly operated by France and India to track and monitor ships in the Indian Ocean is under development, the French National Space Agency (CNES) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have confirmed.

Security expert IOActive has carried out a safety analysis test of Sea IT’s BlueCORE vessel IT solution.  

Höegh Autoliners has signed a new agreement with Marlink to supply its 38 car and truck carriers with the maritime-optimised IT solution KeepUp@Sea.

DNV GL has issued type approval to the thyssenkrupp TechCenter Additive Manufacturing for maritime and general industrial applications. The approval marks the first time a producer of 3D printed parts for maritime applications has obtained manufacturer approval from DNV GL.

Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics has successfully demonstrated its autonomous systems in action onboard a Kvichak Marco skimmer boat during events held along the Portland harbour this week.

Sea Machines’ on-water demonstrations took place onboard the world’s first autonomous spill response vessel. The Vigor/Kvichak Marine Industries-built skimmer boat, owned by Marine Spill Response Corp. (MSRC), performed remote autonomous operations in front of a live audience including those from the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD), of which Sea Machines has a cooperative agreement with. Government, naval, international, environmental and industry representatives were also present.

From a shoreside location at Portland Yacht Services, a Sea Machines operator commanded the SM300-equipped skimmer boat to perform the following capabilities:

• Remote autonomous control from an onshore location or secondary vessel,
• ENC-based mission planning,
• Autonomous waypoint tracking,
• Autonomous grid line tracking,
• Collaborative autonomy for multi-vessel operations, and
• Wireless, remote payload control to deploy onboard boom, skimmer belt and other response equipment.

Sea Machines also discussed how to operate the skimmer in an unmanned autonomous mode, which enables operators to respond to spill events 24/7 depending on recovery conditions, even when crews are restricted. These configurations also reduce or eliminate exposure of crewmembers to challenging sea and weather, toxic fumes and other safety hazards.

“Our operation of the world’s first autonomous, remote-commanded spill-response vessel is yet another significant industry first for Sea Machines,” said Michael G. Johnson, founder and CEO, Sea Machines. “But even more important is the fact that we’ve proven that our technology can be applied to the marine spill response industry – as well as other marine sectors – to protect the health and lives of mariners responding to spills. We are proud to support MSRC’s mission of response preparedness and to work alongside MARAD for these important demonstrations.”

“MSRC is excited to work with Sea Machines on this new technology.  The safety of our personnel is the most important consideration in any response. Autonomous technology enhances safe operations,” said John Swift, vice president, MSRC.

"This is the future of the maritime industry. It’s safer, it’s faster, it’s more cost-effective,” said Richard Balzano, deputy administrator, MARAD. “This technology is here and it will make you a believer. We are here because we want to help the maritime industry evolve. It’s about safety, the environment and reducing risk on the water.”

Kongsberg Digital and Australian Maritime College (AMC) have signed an agreement on further commitment of simulation support through a new Long-Term System Support Program (LTSSP).