Maritime technology company ZeroNorth and leading global satellite and data company Spire Maritime have today announced a new partnership that powers up ZeroNorth’s vessel optimisation software Optimise with Spire’s world leading maritime AIS and weather data.
Optimise ensures that a tramp operator’s vessels are always sailing at the best speed towards their destination. It enriches customer data with third-party information such as Spire’s AIS and weather forecasts to create its recommendations on optimal operating speeds and estimated time of arrival.
Having an accurate view of a vessel’s position and forecasted weather conditions in open oceans has an enormous impact on performance and safety. The high quality data input provided into Optimise’s algorithm will therefore provide owners and operators with greater assurance that the software’s recommendations are based on the reality that they face on the high seas.
The collaboration effectively puts Spire’s market-leading data directly at the fingertips of tramp shipping operators and vessels currently using Optimise, powering even greater decision-making to reduce emissions and fuel consumption, and increase revenue.
With the industry’s growing focus on fuel efficiency, emissions reduction, safety, and productivity, it is more important than ever to have access to accurate weather forecasts and AIS data.
Moreover, because of Spire’s unique combination of Satellite AIS, Dynamic AIS™ and Terrestrial AIS data, Optimise users can now take advantage of an unprecedented level of coverage on global maritime shipping routes, including in busy areas such as the South China Sea.
Speaking on the announcement, Søren Meyer, CEO, ZeroNorth, said: “We are delighted to announce this partnership with Spire Maritime, which further powers up our Optimise software with genuinely market-leading vessel position data.
“This profoundly rich data input enables Optimise to generate even better recommendations on vessel route and speed, in turn unlocking emissions reductions and revenue optimisations. However, this partnership is about more than data integration: by partnering together, we unite forward-thinking technologies to advance digitalisation within shipping and prove to the market that these solutions can generate real action on decarbonisation goals.
“We believe these partnerships and the creation of collaborative ecosystems focused on the same goal are vital if shipping is to meet the challenges of the next decade. We are excited to continue to deepen our partnership with Spire to generate even better outcomes for our customers and the wider industry.”
Simon van den Dries, General Manager, Spire Maritime, added: “We are excited by this new partnership with ZeroNorth. Optimise, and the powerful insights it can generate, is an obvious and fitting way to provide more users across shipping with access to our AIS and weather data.
“The power of this data cannot be understated. Having a good understanding of positioning and open ocean condition is integral to optimising vessel performance. In the context of an increasingly conscious customer-base and with crew welfare front and centre, we believe that more people will recognise the importance of good data in shipping’s day-to-day operations.
“Partnering with ZeroNorth allows us to champion these causes and prove to the market that collaboration and technological alignment are powerful tools in shipping’s toolbox to tackle the emergent challenges we all face.”
Spire’s weather data is amongst the most accurate and comprehensive currently available within the maritime industry. While weather stations and sensors are widespread on land, the same cannot be said for open oceans. Spire overcomes this limitation by using remote sensing techniques such as radio occultation from a growing constellation of satellites orbiting the globe. It allows the capture of detailed temperature, humidity, and pressure information across the entire planet, including our vast oceans’ under-observed corners. The resulting boost to weather prediction is beneficial to both the global maritime industry and global forecast models.
Both organisations have committed to constantly improve the outcomes of the partnership. Spire’s satellites, for example, have the capacity for continual software improvements to improve the quality of data input being provided into Optimise. Meanwhile, Optimise’s algorithm will also further develop as it receives more quality data. This means that this partnership effectively generates both improved data input as well as an improved data output continuously over time, showing the power of digitalisation as a force to generate real change.
