Cyprus takes port optimisation lead

This agreement will test the understanding that ship port calls and harbour services can be optimised through data sharing, using artificial intelligence (AI) and more efficient communications within the coastal ecosystem.

Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (CMMI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tototheo Maritime and Marine Fields Holdings to test live port call ‘time-stamp’ sharing and data analytics to improve harbour efficiency.

Together they will trial ‘internet of maritime’ with ship-to-shore communications combined with data collation and dynamic AI for data analytics.

Using these technoogies, information exchange between ships and shore organisations for optimised port calls and support services will be improved, said CMMI chief executive Zacharias Siokouros.

“Growth of the maritime industry is driven by innovative products, methods and processes,” he said. “To develop those, in response to the real needs of the industry, the exchange of knowhow and the creation of synergies between businesses and research organisations is crucial.”

Tototheo Maritime co-chief executive officer Socrates Theodossiou said information exchange is required to enhance shipping in the future.

“This collaboration is in line with our long-term philosophy that the future of shipping is in knowledge sharing and keeping an open mind to new ideas, business models and structures,” Mr Theodossiou said.

MarineFields Holdings chief executive Andreas Chrysostomou explained how this MoU will extract and exchange information needed to optimise port dockings. “The complexity and frequency of interactions between the different components of the maritime ecosystem are what make our industry so dynamic,” said Mr Chrysostomou.

“It is essential to capture all these interactions and extract the information required for each activity at the right time and in the right way, to increase efficiency and ensure sustainability,” he continued.

Cyprus’ Shipping Deputy Ministry is helping CMMI to optimise shipping operations and administration through funding. CMMI was established in 2019 with funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme to develop digital maritime platforms and optimisation technologies. It was awarded €30M (US$34.8M) funding from the EU Commission and the Cyprus Government.

CMMI has also raised more than €25M (US$29M) from partners in industry and academia stakeholders, mainly as in-kind contributions.

Mr Siokouros has previously told Riviera Maritime Media these funds are being spent on a new research base in Larnaca, Cyprus, a branch in Limassol and on R&D in maritime and marine sciences and digital platforms.

In Q2 2020, CMMI and Cyprus’ shipping deputy ministry started a pilot of Prevention at Sea’s fleet information sharing platform.

Tototheo Maritime specialises in digitalisation, satellite and radio communication, automation, and navigation systems.

MarineFields’ vision is to provide an interface for sharing time-stamp data to organisations in ports and shipping companies.

It is an associate partner of the Sea Traffic Management Validation Project and a participant of the International PortCDM Council for promoting data exchange and management in harbours.

In July, CMMI signed an MoU with Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement to launch True North 72, an initiative that aims to encourage innovation across the maritime supply chain and logistics industries.

Optimised ship operations and port activities will be discussed in depth during Riviera Maritime Media’s Vessel Optimisation Webinar Week, from 7 September. Use this link for more details and to register for these webinars