Voyager seeks collaboration on optimised port arrival with Singapore Living Lab

The Voyager Living Lab launched on Wednesday is the latest development in the Lion City’s maritime innovation eco-system.

Speaking at the launch of the Voyager Living Lab, Singapore Minister of State for Transport, Chee Hong Tat, noted that Voyager had chosen to locate its global headquarters in Singapore in 2020 leveraging on the country’s MarineTech eco-system.

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“Voyager also has deep expertise in vessel navigation and voyage planning. By combining artificial intelligence, automation, and data analytics, Voyager’s technology connects ships to shore-based teams, transmitting data to improve safety and efficiency of voyages,” the Minister said.

In an interview with Seatrade Maritime News, Kent Lee, CEO of Voyager Worldwide, sees the Voyager Living Lab as bridging a gap between existing Living Labs already established by the MPA and terminal operator PSA.

“They can look at regulatory requirements, they can look at port optimisation, but then  do they have control over when vessels can arrive in a timely manner as planned?”

For Voyager’s part it can plan a very effective route today, but when a vessel arrives in port it can be delays of days, even weeks, depending on the port.

“Today, I will say, we are here to help connect the dots. You have the port piece, but from port-to-port, who has control? That's where our solutions, the next generation solutions will fit in. And it is going to be a journey, it's not something that can't be achieved by a single party it requires the collaboration of different stakeholders,” Lee explained.

The new lab also brings in the wider industry by partnering with the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA), which represents a broad range of interests including shipowners, operators, and managers.

The Voyager Living Lab will be a free to use space for maritime research, development and innovation, to try and link together all parties in the supply chain in a more effective manner.

“It's about having open systems, and the willingness to share information between the different stakeholders to make this possible,” Lee said. Voyager’s role is facilitating data exchange and as a part of that planning and optimising the vessel’s voyage between point A and point B, and ultimately contributing to decarbonisation.

The lab provides 2,240 sq feet of physical space with a mix of facilities and virtual infrastructure