ABB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Korean companies Lab021 and ForceTEC, as well as shipyards Daehan Shipbuilding and K Shipbuilding, that will see the firms collaborate on the development of ‘intelligent’ vessels with optimised operations based on data analysis.
Under the terms of the agreement, Lab021 will install its Vessellink system incorporating ABB’s Vessel Routing Application Programming Interface (API) on forthcoming vessels delivered by the partner shipyards.
The MoU framework also includes integration of ForceTEC’s video technology to facilitate real-time vessel monitoring, also leveraging data provided by ABB’s API to support voyage optimisation functionalities.
The first vessels have already been contracted and are expected to be delivered at a rate of one per quarter, starting from Q1 2025, the companies said.
“We are excited about this pioneering initiative, which underscores the transformative power of marine digitalisation and supports the industry’s decarbonisation goals,” said Osku Kälkäjä, Head of Digital Business, ABB Marine & Ports.
“By integrating ABB’s Vessel Routing API into the Vessellink platform, the collaboration delivers advanced voyage optimisation to enhance safety, efficiency and compliance. Ship owners and operators will benefit from this from the moment the vessels leave the yard.”
ABB’s Vessel Routing API incorporates weather forecasting and voyage optimisation capabilities that can be added to software providers’ own dashboards, workflows and applications. These capabilities were significantly bolstered by ABB’s acquisition of the DTN Shipping portfolio of vessel routing software early last year, including analytics, reporting, and modelling applications.
“ABB’s solution was selected as the most accurate and efficient of the several voyage optimisation APIs tested and serves as a crucial building block for our solution,” said Paul Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Lab021.
“With the integration of high-resolution weather data and an advanced routing algorithm, we are confident that the Vessellink platform will contribute to the decarbonisation efforts of the shipping community.”
