The EU talks a lot about "the twin transition", where both the digital and the green shift are equal, and achieving the green shift is dependent on a digital transformation. The EU is also in the process of establishing a separate partnership related to maritime digitization under Horizon Europe. We take this as an indication that more and more people recognize that a digital transformation is necessary, and with several world-leading maritime integrators in the cluster, we want to both retain and strengthen our digital position. Input from the cluster companies points to several fundamental elements that should be strengthened in order to be able to further develop this position, of which the following three are those that seem to be most interested in taking hold in 2024:
Standardisation: There is currently no standardization on the naming of maritime signals. This entails large integration costs and complications when incorporating different components into a ship. This is particularly relevant in the physical world, but the issue is also highly relevant when moving into the world of digital twins and simulation. Our mapping has not come across anyone who works with this today, and that it is thus a position our cluster can take.
Simulation: GCE Blue Maritime Cluster has previously participated in the Open Simulator Platform project. (OSP) It is a project that aims to establish an ecosystem for simultaneous simulation of "black-box" simulation models and easy integration of these models in the maritime industry. We believe that simulation in and across industries will be essential to reduce risk when adopting new technology, but to take the project further you need a better business model for how such a tool can be operated.
Testing: Within the maritime sector, there is currently no common digital platform for testing (procedures, documentation) of equipment; from simulation, via factory testing to testing and commissioning on board. We want to see if it is possible to set up such a digital platform and what is needed for it to be realised.
