DEME selects IBM AI vessel management for offshore construction

DEME Group has selected an IBM-based software package with artificial intelligence (AI) to help manage its fleet of more than 100 specialist vessels supporting offshore projects and seabed dredging.

IBM’s Maximo Application Suite (MAS) will be installed on its offshore support vessels and dredgers to optimise performance and reduce operational downtime.

DEME will use Bentley Systems subsidiary Cohesive to upgrade its fleet and ensure all vessels are using the latest version of MAS, which uses AI, internet of things and data analytics to provide operational insights.

“This upgrade will not only improve system performance but also streamline operations and reduce costs,” said Cohesive vice president Pierre De Wet.

This contract marks the next step in Cohesive’s partnership with DEME. Since 2016, DEME has relied on Cohesive’s data replication (CDR) software to synchronise data across Maximo on dispersed vessels. CDR helps to ensure each of DEME’s disconnected Maximo environments are synchronised with their central instance, allowing for seamless operations across the entire enterprise.

Cohesive will work with DEME to implement IBM’s MAS and decustomise the Maximo 7.6.1.3 system, as IBM will stop supporting Maximo 7.6.1 in September 2025.