Tag: Interviews

Mr. Patrick Ho Maxwell, Vice President of Magsaysay People Resources Corporation notes that the current landscape poses many challenges for the training of seafarers; thus high level education and development of both their technical and soft skills are vital. Mr. Maxwell notes that above all, operators need to invest in people, concluding that in order to attract the younger generation, we have to ‘transform from teaching to learning strategies’.

Mr. Tor Svanes, CEO, NAVTOR, notes that passage planning is a huge administrative burden for operators and further talks about key issues to consider when providing e-navigation solutions for vessels. In addition, he mentions that although technology offers benefits for shipping and automation is approaching, human element should always be at the center of attention.

Mrs. Diane Gilpin, Founder & CEO of Smart Green Shipping Alliance, explains how renewable energy can break into shipping’s mainstream and improve energy efficiency. The emerging climate and resource challenges offer a massive commercial opportunity that we need to grab, she concludes.

Mr. Salvatore d’Amico, Fleet Director of d’Amico Group, notes that there is still a large gap in the required standards on board dry cargo ships compared to oil tankers. Therefore, operators need to go beyond compliance with industry’s standards regardless the type of vessel and at the same the shipping industry itself needs to raise the bar.

In an exclusive interview with SAFETY4SEA, Capt. Rajesh Unni Founder & CEO of Synergy Marine Group, discussed key issues surrounding life onboard as well as the existing and future challenges for seafarers. In this regard, he referred on how rising automation is expected to create new demands on skills in IT, communications, and engineering.

In an exclusive interview with SAFETY4SEA, Mr. Arun Sharma, Executive Chairman of Indian Register of Shipping, who will be assuming his role as Chair of IACS for 2019, refers to the latest cyber security and digitalization initiatives that IRClass has taken as well as to the global trends concerning shipping market.

In an exclusive interview, Mr. George Vranakis, Marine Manager at Jotun Hellas, discusses about the key challenges concerning antifouling, providing also tips to operators for choosing the right coating for the protection of their vessels’ hulls. Mr. Vranakis highlights that the right selection starts with the identification of the operational needs, while considering the technical issues after discussion with experts are also important. In this regard, Mr. Vranakis shares his insight on the suitable approach toward an antifouling coating that best fits the operational profile of vessels.

Nicholas Confuorto, President & CEO, CR Ocean Engineering, argues why scrubbers are the best option for compliance with 2020 regulations and provides an overview of the market as well as his forecast for 2025, 5 years after the initial deadline.

Mr Peter Due, Director Autonomy, Global Sales & Marketing, Kongsberg Maritime highlights that embracing the future with technology is imperative for shipping more than ever before. Given that there is more acceptance towards automation, he says, the regulatory challenges for autonomous ships need to be addressed.

SAFETY4SEA Team met with Dr. Martin Koller, Product Manager, Air Pollution Control, ANDRITZ during SMM to discuss what scrubber investment means for operators. Dr. Koller referred to key barriers, insisting however that scrubber systems are viable option for compliance with the upcoming regulation.