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In the latest of the C-Suite series by IBM Institute for Business Value, sustainability was found to be top of mind for CEOs. The study, interviewing 3,000 CEO’s, revealed that there has been a dramatic emergence of sustainability onto the ‘mainstream corporate agenda’ with CEOs identifying sustainability as their ‘greatest challenge’. With reports of CEOs experiencing great pressure from board members and investors to transform their business in pursuit of becoming more sustainable, there’s great need for change in the corporate world, but where are the examples of companies taking a step in the right direction?

Cognition Foundry is a shining example of a company putting sustainability at the heart of what they do with their aim “to create nurturing, collaborative partnerships that contribute to a better world”. Cognition Foundry’s core IT infrastructure is built on IBM products due to client demand for IT systems with low energy profiles and minimal impact on our planet’s future and Cognition Foundry has invested in IBM LinuxONE servers which are far more straightforward to manage than the complicated cloud computing which exists on the market today.

An excellent example of how Cognition Foundry is exploiting the IBM LinuxONE mainframe is in the ground-breaking IBM Mayflower Autonomous Ship project. The Mayflower project uses IBM’s revolutionary technology to help transform the way we can help scientists and governments respond to the climate crisis focusing on the largest ecosystem on earth, our oceans. Cognition Foundry plays a pivotal role in this venture, working with their partner Videosoft Global Ltd.

Videosoft Global Ltd developed technology which allows live videos to be transmitted at low bit rates whilst maintaining reliable connectivity and reduce latency to a minimum. The use of high-definition colour cameras on-board the Mayflower allows footage to feed into a Videosoft gateway encoder which then compresses each video stream to send over satellite to virtual servers installed on an IBM LinuxOne mainframe. From there, the footage is relayed on to the IBM Watson Media platform, and then streamed live to every user that is tuned in to the live dashboard.

The intelligent collaboration between IBM Business Partner TES, Cognition Foundry and Videosoft has contributed to the development of cutting-edge innovation which can only help accelerate our trajectory in finding new ways to tackle the climate crisis. Videosoft Global CEO, Stewart McCone says “We are always delighted to be involved in ground-breaking projects such as the Mayflower Autonomous Ship. In this case a successful collaboration between marine specialists and technology has enabled this project to happen, which will deliver valuable benefits to the world in the future. The Videosoft technology plays a key part in linking shore side operations to remote vessels over the satellite network and the IBM LinuxOne platform delivers reliable, secure and scalable services to distribute the live video to the public, educational institutions and media outlets across the globe.” Since investing in LinuxONE, Cognition Foundry has helped many start-ups validate, develop, deploy and mature their ideas.

Cognition Foundry together with IBM received a UN Sustainability Award for their Plastic Bank Blockchain solution. This project meant that an estimated 2.3 billion plastic bottles were prevented from entering the oceans as well as creating a source of income for more than 20,000 of the world’’ poorest. By contributing to both environmental and social causes Cognition Foundry has positively left their mark as one of the pioneering tech companies, along with IBM, who are working toward reaching our UN Sustainable Development Goals.

As the Mayflower Autonomous Ship sailed from Plymouth UK to Plymouth USA, we’re confident that by complement Videosoft’s encoding technology, IBM LinuxONE ensured their video streams are available for all to see. As the technology is exploited further, we hope to see a range of new services and solutions developed that will impact blue light, improve security, drive efficiencies in satellite communication and complement autonomous shipping. What innovative application of technology can you develop to help in reaching the 17 UN Sustainable development goals to help to the turn the tide on climate change?

Source: https://www.ibm.com/blogs/business-partners/tech-for-good-the-mayflower-autonomous-ship-and-the-role-of-the-mainframe/

Fugro has signed a contract with Kooiman Engineering and Van Oossanen Naval Architects for the naval design of Blue Prism™, Fugro’s next generation of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs). Specifically engineered for operations in both coastal and offshore environments, the Blue Prism™ will combine an ultra-low carbon footprint with high quality data collection, weather resilience and endurance characteristics.

Available to clients in 2023, Fugro’s Blue Prism™ will acquire bathymetry and sub-bottom data of the highest accuracy using hull mounted sensors, whilst also having the ability to tow multiple geophysical sensors. Capable of beyond line of sight operations, it will be the first low carbon autonomous vessel to combine these advanced vessel characteristics and sensors. Together with Fugro’s smart data management software, the speed and endurance of the Blue Prism will reduce risk and accelerate project delivery in offshore wind, hydrographic charting and coastal resilience.

Perry van Oossanen, Managing Director and Naval Architect at Van Oossanen Naval Architects, said: “We are thrilled to be part of this exciting project in which the best technics in Dutch ship building are combined in this new uncrewed ultra-efficient vessel. To re-think the design and lay-out of a vessel without a crew is a dream come true for a naval architect.” Maarten Kooiman, Director of Kooiman Engineering, said: “The collaboration between Kooiman and Van Oossanen has already led to innovative solutions, and we are pleased to be able to help Fugro take the next step in uncrewed vessels.”

Fugro’s Blue Prism™ USV will have greater endurance, improved weather resilience and ultra-low carbon emissions

Frank Koopman, Fugro’s Global Director Marine Site Characterisation, said: “Autonomous vessels play an important role in the future of the maritime survey sector by improving safety, reducing carbon emissions, and delivering high quality data more efficiently. We chose to work with Kooiman Engineering and Van Oossanen Naval Architects because of their extensive track record in innovative ship design and hydrodynamics and we look forward to working with them on this exiting project as we are determined to grow our fleet of USVs for safer, more sustainable marine operations.”
Source: Fugro

A Russian missile has hit a tanker drifting in the Black Sea for more than four months.

The tanker was loaded with diesel, per the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. It cited Ukraine’s military that referred to the ship as an “ecological bomb.”

The Moldova-flagged tanker Millennial Spirit was struck twice as Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February.

It was initially hit by a missile fired from a warship several days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Moldova reported that at the time, the ship had Russian crew members, and two of them were seriously injured.

Ukraine’s southern military command had reported that when the vessel was first struck in February, it was loaded with over 500 tonnes of diesel and that since then, it was drifting in the Black Sea waters with no crew.

The military mentioned in a statement that perhaps the remaining cargo is burning.

It reportedly called the vessel a “delayed-action” bomb and further blamed the fact that it was drifting without a crew on board on a Russian blockade of Ukraine’s ports. It added that a Russian Kh-31 air-to-surface missile struck the vessel.

Details of the attack could not be confirmed by Reuters independently.

Ukraine has said that Russia’s invasion has resulted in substantial ecological damage to the country and plans to seek compensation in the international courts.

Environmental threats from the invasion highlighted by Ukraine also include the pollution of its water basins.

References: Reuters, US News, BSF QH

Press Release: All radio traffic on the emergency channel that reaches Sweden is now transcribed by artificial intelligence (AI) and shown to the operators at the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Gothenburg within a second. Keywords, such as “Mayday”, “SOS”, “help” and “sinking”, are clearly marked and cannot be missed.

The Swedish Maritime Administration, together with the Swedish companies Tenfifty AB and Maranics AB, has conducted a research and innovation project during the past two years. Earlier this
year, a full-scale test was launched of an emergency call detection system that uses the very latest AI technology. The system will be in operational use until the autumn when an evaluation will be made.

It was Tobias Nicander, rescue leader at the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre, who already in 2009 came up with the idea of getting help with listening to the emergency channel. Calls can sometimes be difficult to interpret because the signals are weak and the messages are incoherent. In addition, there is always the risk that the operator is already working on an alarm when a new case arises. There is thus a small risk of missing a call, but by transcribing all calls, the risk is reduced. The technology did not exist when Tobias got the idea, but 10 years later, technology has caught up.

“Not only do we get the calls texted, we have also defined keywords that should be clearly marked and should remain on our screens until we say that we have seen them. We also receive
documentation of what has been said on the channel, which can be helpful in improving the process in the future. It serves, for example, as a perfect base for education”, says Tobias Nicander.

Already on the first day, the system drew the operators’ attention to two “Mayday” calls: one in Germany and one in Denmark. This shows that the AI solution can interpret even weak signals and that the operators really get the help they want, to be able to make even better assessments in the future. In addition, it shows that the reach of the Swedish coastal radio network is good enough. The solution will not replace the operators. It is developed with the goal of relieving and supporting the operators in their daily work.

Source: https://fathom.world/artificial-intelligence-helps-search-and-rescue/

The Korean Register (KR) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with KLCSM and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) to research and approve the application of autonomous navigation systems for medium to large vessels.

The agreement will accelerate the commercialisation and international competitiveness of domestic autonomous ship equipment and technology, establishing a truly autonomous ship-based operating system.

According to the MOU, SHI’s autonomous navigation system, known as Samsung Autonomous Ship (SAS), will be applied to KLCSM’s fleet of operational vessels.

“KR will provide technical support for this project in order to further the development and operation autonomous navigation systems,” said YEON Kyujin, Head of Plan Approval Center at KR.

Through the system, it will be possible to carry out risk assessments, develop and certify cyber security systems and review the compliance of various agreements and standards for future domestic approval.

“With this latest joint cooperation, more autonomous navigation systems will be successfully applied to ships, which will further increase the efficiency of ship management,” said KWON Ohgil, Managing Director of KLCSM, adding, “We also expect to improve vessel safety and improve the environment of ship operations amid a current shortage of sailors.”

Moreover, SHI will carry out a comprehensive collaboration for the commercialisation of autonomous navigation systems through the certification of ship equipment and the Marine Equipment Directive (MED) for Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) modules.

KIM Hyunjo, Director of the Marine Shipbuilding Research Center of SHI, said that “SHI is focusing its capabilities on the research and development for the commercialization of autonomous navigation technologies for ocean and coastal navigation, including conducting practical ship operations based on the maritime demonstration of our own SAS autonomous navigation system.”

Source: Container News

The third and final day of the 13th Arab Robotics Championship in the coastal Egyptian city of Sharm El Sheikh saw several first-time contestants rise to the winners’ podium. The four-day competition, which concluded Monday, was aimed at encouraging young people to engage with advanced tech in hopes of boosting the region’s robotics and engineering sectors.

Despite the dire conditions in his home country of Libya, Khaled Al Warfeli and his team managed to find a local sponsor to support their trip to join the competition in Egypt. Concerned about biodiversity in the region, the team created a robotic boat that can help clean lakes.

The Libyan team’s design is equipped with cameras and GPS systems to locate waste at the bottom of lakes and uses robotic arms to pick it up.

“The judges liked our prototype, not only because it overcomes an environmental challenge, but also because it is ready for immediate production. Made out of simple components, it can be easily assembled and programmed for mass implementation,” Al Warfeli told CGTN.

The Libyan project won first place in the innovation category of the competition.

Abdallah Mohamed from Egypt was another first-time participant. His design clinched the win in the contest’s “Follow the Line” category. It’s a challenge where robots must follow a line from beginning to end in a field full of obstacles. The challenge is to program robots to figure out how to find their way around the obstacles and finish the course in the shortest time.

“This is one of the most competitive disciplines in the championship, Mohamed said. “Every participating country holds a domestic competition in Follow the Line. The winning teams come here to challenge each other. We had to study electronics and review robots designed for previous editions, in order to ensure ours could fully operate autonomously.”

The access the championship gives to its archives aims to build up an accumulative body of knowledge for the region’s young engineers to learn from. This way, students participating get empowered to introduce more advanced technologies than those used in previous editions of the contest.

In the ‘Collect the Ball’ category, competitors control robots racing to pick up a ball and score it in an opponent’s goal. The challenge requires speed, precise control over the robot and skill to hold the ball while keeping the opposing robot from snatching it back.

The winners in that challenge came from Qatar. They say that, while battling it out for control of the ball is fun and exciting, these robots can also be used for practical, real-world applications.

Team member and first-time participant Hussein Alnaema said, “It’s a game but, using the same concept, we can build robots to pick up litter from cities and collect them at designated locations, thus saving a lot of manpower in cleaning the streets.”

Hussein’s teacher, Abdullah Al Musleh said that the experience his student gained during the journey from creating an idea to winning the competition was remarkable.

“Our school has been competing in the robotics championships for seven years. Robotic technology is a fast-growing field. So every year the requirements for the competition are completely different from the one before. The innovations are inspiring. The number of countries and participants continue to grow,” he added.

The Arab Robotics Championship was established in 2008. It focuses on school and university students, aiming to create a regional foundation for advanced technologies and smart solutions.

Source: https://africa.cgtn.com/2022/07/05/autonomous-boats-and-robot-battles-young-engineers-face-off-at-egypt-robotics-contest/

ENOVA innovation award will enable bold vision for two emissions-free container vessels to connect Norway and the Netherlands by 2025

SeaShuttle, the ambitious project to build two hydrogen-powered, remotely controlled and autonomous-ready containerships for delivery by 2025 has secured NOK150 million (€15M) in funding from Norwegian state enterprise ENOVA.

The bold scheme, led by multimodal transport and logistics group Samskip and marine robotics specialist Ocean Infinity, envisages two SeaShuttle ships operating emissions-free between Oslo Fjord and Rotterdam, with each powered by a 3.2MW hydrogen fuel cell.

ENOVA, which operates under Norway’s Ministry of Climate and Environment, promotes a shift towards more environmentally friendly energy consumption and production, as well as technologies based on sustainable energy.

Originally announced at Nor-Shipping 2022, Oslo, in April, the Samskip-Ocean Infinity partnership covers both the construction and operation of the ships, in a collaboration seeking to push forward towards zero-emission, efficient and safe, multimodal logistics.

“Samskip is very proud to take the lead role in pioneering the SeaShuttle initiative, as part of its ‘making green logistics easy’ strategy,” said Are Gråthen, CEO, Samskip Norway. “Securing this funding provides a platform to make emissions-free container shipping a reality. Together, Samskip and Ocean Infinity will also accelerate their plans to advance autonomous ship technologies, and remote operation of ships and cargo handling equipment. These ships are the first part of an exciting collaboration with Ocean Infinity.”

In line with commitments given at COP26 Clydebank Declaration, SeaShuttle would create what amounted to one of Europe’s first zero-emission ‘green corridors’, Gråthen added.

Christoffer Jorgenvag, CCO, Ocean Infinity, commented: “Ocean Infinity’s enabling technologies can facilitate green corridors but also the broader decarbonisation and transformation of maritime operations. The emphasis today is on the SeaShuttle vessels, which are just part of Ocean Infinity’s overall strategy of unlocking innovation to deliver truly sustainable maritime operations. We would like to thank Enova for their support for our vision which represents a firm endorsement of our ground-breaking approach and allows us to proceed at full speed in bringing this project to life.”

The funding means the partners can move forward to contract two new 500TEU ships installed with a main propulsion solution that can be adapted to run on hydrogen fuel.?Diesel electric propulsion plant will be on board as back up, although Gråthen emphasized: “We have faith that green hydrogen will be affordable and available in Norway”.

Kari-Pekka Laaksonen, Group CEO, Samskip commented: “For Samskip, sustainability is one of the fundamentals of doing business. The SeaShuttle project is a substantial step in Samskip’s journey towards zero emission logistics. Its combination of fuel, technology and operational best practice is expected to make emissions-free shortsea shipping cost competitive with existing solutions.
Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/corporate/samskip-ocean-infinity-secure-hydrogen-fuelled-container-ship-funds

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced on July 6 that South Korea’s shipbuilding industry achieved 1^st place in terms of shipbuilding orders for the first half of 2022, winning 45.5 percent (9.79 million CGT) out of a total of 21.53 million CGT, the entire volume of shipbuilding orders worldwide for that period.

In so doing, Korea has reclaimed top spot for H1 after previously claiminig it in 2018. When excluding delayed demand effect of 2021, H1 2022 results are the country’s best first half performance since 2011 (10.36 million CGT).

Korea won 62 percent of total global orders in the first half for high value-added ships, which amounts to 6.92 million CGT out of 11.14 million CGT worldwide.

Moreover, as LNG demand is rising amid Qatar’s LNG carrier bids and Russia-Ukraine war, large-scale LNG carrier bid openings have noticeably increased. During H1 2022, Korea won 63 large-scale LNG carrier bids, equivalent to 71 percent (5.44 million CGT, $13.9 billion) of the total global bids.

Surging freight cost kept fueling demand for large container ships, and Korea won 26 ships, equivalent to 43 percent (1.48 million CGT, $13.9 billion) of world total.

Korea continued strong with respect to eco-friendly ships as well, winning 58 percent (7.98 million CGT out of world total 13.72 million CGT).

By fuel type, LNG-fueled vessels were most numerous in number (115 ships), followed by methanol-fueled vessels (4 ships), then LPG-fueled vessels (1 ship).

Backlog of orders reach 35.08 million CGT as of June 2022, which is 28 percent higher than the total of previous year’s first half, and three major domestic shipbuilders (Hyundai Heavy, Samsung Heavy and Daewoo Shipbuilding) already are almost filled to the brim with their order targets for 2025-2026.

In terms of order backlog, Korea’s shipbuilders dominated the global ranking from 1^st to 4^th (In order, Samsung Heavy, Hyundai Heavy and Daewoo Shipbuilding, Hyundai Samho Heavy).

As demand for eco-friendly vessels is forecast to rise further in step with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) imposing environment protection regulations, as well as Qatar’s LNG carrier bid openings slated for second half of 2022, the stream of orders is expected to continue worldwide.

The Ministry will continue to support Korea’s shipbuilding industry build competitiveness in future products, such as autonomous ships, eco-friendly ships and Smart K-yard, so that Korean shipyards can adapt to paradigm shifts like “green” and “smart.”

Source: https://english.motie.go.kr/en/pc/pressreleases/bbs/bbsView.do?bbs_cd_n=2&bbs_seq_n=1012

Cargotec, together with leading and ICT companies, will establish world’s first ecosystem aimed at creating autonomous marine transport system to the Baltic Sea by 2025.

The initiative is largely financed by Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for innovation. In addition to Cargotec, the main investing companies are Ericsson, Meyer Turku, Rolls-Royce, Tieto and Wärtsilä. The ecosystem platform is being handled by DIMECC, a leading co-creation ecosystem provider.

“For decades, Cargotec’s business areas MacGregor and Kalmar have been pioneering solutions on-board and at ports for efficient and safe cargo flow solutions,” says Soili Mäkinen, CIO at Cargotec. “This initiative is in line with our ambitions, and we are excited to be part of it. We invite all industry stakeholders to collaborate in this area.”

“MacGregor is committed to maximising the lifetime profitability of its customers’ operations. We understand, that this is best done in close cooperation with customers and other stakeholders,” says Pasi Lehtonen, SVP, Marketing, Business Development and Strategy, MacGregor. “In order to boost industry transformation, MacGregor has called for an industry renewal discussion under the theme “So much potential – let’s not waste it“. Productivity developments will be driven by advancements in connectivity and digitalisation, along with new business models and capabilities. Autonomous maritime transportation is a perfect example of such new capability.”

“Kalmar is pleased to collaborate with industry leaders in finding ways to expand automation in the maritime logistics chain. This initiative has great potential to help in increasing safety and productivity not only in container ports but in the whole maritime industry,” says Tommi Pettersson, Vice President, Software and Automation Development, Kalmar.

Cargotec is on a drive to become a world leader in intelligent cargo handling, and it is increasing its focus on software, services and digital business. The above initiative supports this goal.

Source; https://logisticsvoices.co.uk/cargotec-part-worlds-first-ecosystem-initiative-autonomous-ships/

According to a document released by China’s Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Health Commission, General Administration of Customs and National Immigration Administration, before sailing for domestic market, the quarantine period for international trading vessel is to be reduced from 14 days to seven days from when the vessel arrived at the port of entry. All the crew members on board the vessel will need to have five Covid tests during the seven coming days upon arrival.

Once the vessel completed the process for adjusting oceangoing routes to domestic routes, the crew members’ health monitoring period will be shortened from 14 days to three days, and will be required to take a covid-test on the third day.

The policy adjustment could shorten the waiting time of the vessels transferring from international to domestic market reducing operation costs for the owners and provide a stronger support for transportation demands.

China is continuing to maintain a zero Covid policy, however, has relaxed some its most stringent quarantine measures for international arrivals.

source: https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/regulation/china-cuts-quarantine-vessels-moving-international-domestic-trades

Newer Posts

Older Posts

Tech for Good: The Mayflower Autonomous Ship and The Role of the Mainframe

Fugro expands its USV fleet with the development of the ‘Blue Prism™’ for autonomous and sustainable geophysical surveys

Black Sea ‘Time Bomb’ Tanker Ship Hit By A Russian Missile

Artificial Intelligence helps Search and Rescue

KR, KLCSM and SHI sign agreement on autonomous navigation systems

Autonomous boats and robot battles: Young engineers face off at Egypt robotics contest

Samskip & Ocean Infinity Secure Hydrogen-Fuelled Container Ship Funds

Korea reclaims world no.1 shipyard title in 4 years

Cargotec is part of the world’s first ecosystem initiative for autonomous ships.

China cuts quarantine for vessels moving from international to domestic trades

Maritime AI: Weekly Round‑up (July 7–13, 2025)

New Phishing Campaign Targeting Shipping Companies Raises Alarm

IMO Maritime Safety Committee Opens 110th Session – Safety, Technology & Seafarer Protection in Focus

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