DNV GL joins Smart Maritime Network

The network was formed in January 2019 to promote the benefits of enhanced integration and data sharing among stakeholders within the maritime and transport logistics sectors. A core element of the initiative is the creation of a Smart Maritime Council, a diverse industry membership group including maritime technology developers, systems integrators and other key stakeholders.

As part of the move, Bjørn-Johan Vartdal, head of DNV GL’s maritime incubator, and Magnus Lande, head of APAC for Veracity by DNV GL, will join the Smart Maritime Council.

“Shipping is in the midst of a tectonic shift towards digitalisation – towards being able to access and utilise the massive amount of information the industry generates every day in digital format,” said Bjørn-Johan Vartdal.

“In order to fully exploit this opportunity, we need the industry to work together, especially when it comes to agreeing on issues relating to standardisation and governance. This is why we are so pleased to be part of the Smart Maritime Network, because having an active and focused forum for facilitating this industry cooperation is essential,” he added.

DNV GL is committed to using its position as an independent third party to build trust in the quality of data and confidence in its secure sharing. The company has been working to take advantage of the opportunities created by digitalisation to offer new services and ways of working.

Magnus Lande who joins the council together with Bjørn-Johan Vartdal, heads up the APAC section of Veracity, a DNV GL entity that delivers data platform services for the maritime and energy sectors. “Veracity aims to make it easier for organisations in the maritime industry to undergo their digital transformation, by offering a platform for storage of high security data with safe sharing mechanisms, data contextualised according to industry standards and easy access to sector-specific applications,” he said.

The Smart Maritime Network already includes members ABB, Immarsat, Kongsberg and Wärtsilä among others. According to Rob O’Dwyer, chief network officer of the Smart Maritime Network, DNV GL was identified as a primary target due to the ‘size of its customer base, existing relationships with our other members and extensive digital capabilities on both the software side and with its Veracity data platform’.