DNV GL commits to innovation and digitalisation

“Shipping is going through some troubled waters, but it is what is,” said DNV GL president and ceo Remi Eriksen at a media briefing at Posidonia 2016. “It has never been more important to innovate than now.”

He said that bold collaborative innovation was needed across the industry and reaffirmed that the classification society had committed 5% of annual revenues to R&D and innovation.

“Half of that we will use to help our customers make that digital transformation,” Eriksen said.

Expanding on the classification society’s plans in innovation Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen ceo of DNV GL Maritime said, “Now are challenging but very exciting times, a time for change and modernisation.”

Looking at specific projects he highlighted an order by Stena Line for four plus fours options for ro-pax ferries at Avic Shipyard in Shanghai.

“That a quality focused and innovative owner like Stena Line has chosen to construct these vessels to the new DNV GL rule set clearly shows that our customers are responding to the possibilities created by the rules,” he added. The ro-pax ferries will be “gas ready”, prepared to be fuelled by either methanol or LNG.

There is also the use of drones to survey ship tanks thereby improving safety. “The success of the first drone production survey shows how our investment in developing modern class solutions to benefit our customers is paying off,” he explained. “Over the next few years we will continue to work on expanding the ways drones can be used and the number of stations where we can offer this service.”

In cooperation with Greek shipowner Tsakos DNV GL is working on a project to identify cyber-security risks on a vessel. “There is now shortage of vulnerabilities,” Ørbeck-Nilssen commented.

He said it was an ongoing project with an aim to developing a cyber-security plan.