NAVTOR takes maritime lead in EU autonomous vessel project

The company has been selected to represent the maritime industry in the ENABLE project, conceived to prove, verify and validate the safety of autonomous vehicles in Europe. NAVTOR says it has now received funding to investigate the concept of "shore-based bridges", a crucial stepping stone on the path to autonomous vessels.
ENABLE was originally proposed by the car industry, but the EU widened its scope to take in the full spectrum of transport, including ships. NAVTOR says it was chosen to represent the maritime sector’s efforts due to its expertise and innovation in the field of navigation, planning and monitoring. The company’s technology currently connects vessels and shore-based facilities worldwide to optimise routes, safety, efficiency and overall fleet management.
NAVTOR’s role in ENABLE, which runs through October 2019, will focus on testing the validity of the software element of a remote bridge concept. This will be built on continuous data-sharing between vessels and land, with key navigation functions migrating from the crew to office-based teams. Shore-based bridges won't be central to the day-to-day operation of autonomous vessels, but will be a vital part of their support infrastructure, allowing those onshore to take charge of individual ships when necessary, NAVTOR notes.
NAVTOR launched the initiative with a pre-project meeting for 16 European experts, representing some of Europe’s leading research and development institutions, at its headquarters in Egersund, Norway, in August. Other ENABLE participants include IBM, Philips Medical Systems, Renault, Tieto and Siemens.