Unmanned Vehicles

Wärtsilä joins autonomous shipping project

28th September 2016 - 11:30 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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Wärtsilä Corporation has announced that it is to take part in a project aimed at creating the an autonomous marine transport system.

The collaborative industry project aims to develop the technologies, system reliability and designs to make autonomous shipping a viable, cheaper and more efficient alternative to manned shipping practices.

The initial focus will be on developing a fully autonomous system for the Baltic Sea by the year 2025, with cargo ships and freight transportation to be the first pilot applications.

With artificial intelligence, robotics, and remote connections set to play an important role in the shipping industry's future Wärtsilä is committed to developing a strong digital offering and has recently acquired Eniram, a leading provider of energy management and vessel performance systems. The company has also launched its updated Wärtsilä Nacos Platinum platform of navigation, automation, and control systems.

The programme is being largely financed by Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for innovation, and the ecosystem platform is being handled by DIMECC, a co-creation ecosystem provider. The main corporate investors in the programme, apart from Wärtsilä, are Rolls-Royce, Cargotec, Ericsson, Meyer Turku, and Tieto.