Wärtsilä Takes Part in Autonomous Shipping Project
Image Courtesy: WärtsiläTogether with marine sector and information and communication technology (ICT) companies, Helsinki-listed Wärtsilä Corporation is taking part in a project aimed at creating the world’s first autonomous marine transport system.
The company said that 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 being the first pilot applications.
The programme is being largely financed by Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for innovation and the ecosystem platform is being handled by DIMECC, a breakthrough oriented co-creation ecosystem provider. The main corporate investors in the programme, apart from Wärtsilä, are Rolls-Royce, Cargotec, Ericsson, Meyer Turku, and Tieto.
“Wärtsilä is contributing its technological know-how and experience and fully supports the project’s goals,” Mikael Simelius, Vice President, Marketing, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions, said.
Wärtsilä added that it believes that artificial intelligence, robotics, and remote connections will play an important role in the shipping industry’s future as a means towards increasing efficiency and lowering operating costs.
