The European research program “Horizon 2020” funded 20.1 million euros to the Norwegian consortium led by Kongsberg and SINTEF, for its autonomous ships project, one of the largest grands the Norwegian players ever receive.
As Kongsberg reported, through the grant companies will focus on a long-term test of autonomous vessel technology. Specifically, their project “AUTOSHIP” will set and test autonomous technology upon two ships in different operational environments.
The Norwegian maritime cluster, which KONGSBERG is part of, is the world leader in autonomous shipping. Now we are further strengthening our position through the AUTOSHIP project which will accelerate the realisation of next-generation autonomous ships and create a roadmap for commercialising autonomous shipping in the EU in the next five years.
…as Egil Haugsdal, CEO of Kongsberg Maritime noted.
Moreover apart from the trial tests, the project aims to boost shipboard systems for autonomous navigation, intelligent machinery systems, self-diagnostics, prognostics and operation scheduling, while develop the latest capabilities of autonomous technology.
We will demonstrate that it is possible to remotely operate several ships from land and over large geographical areas. The technology is used in different ways on the vessel to show that the solutions can be applied widely. This is a market with a significant potential.
… continued Egil Haugsdal.
The two vessels that Kongsberg will test on, are the fish-feed carrier ship “Eidsvaag Pioneer” and a self-powered barge owned by Blue Line Logistics NV on Europe’s inland canal system. Both of them are scheduled to be used especially in short sea coastal shipping and Europe’s inland waterways.
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There is increasing market demand for waterborne transport in the EU. The results of the AUTOSHIP project will lead to safer and greener transport in Europe with one of the major outcomes being a shift of goods transport from roads to waterways.
…Haugsdal further noted.
Concluding, the project is a cooperation between Kongsberg, SINTEF and other European collaborators while the Research Council of Norway is offering also its support.