DIMECC opens the first globally available autonomous maritime test area on the west coast of Finland – One Sea implementation moves forward



Picture (c)Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce’s vision on future autonomous ship.



The test area is the first one in the world to be globally open to anyone wishing to test autonomous maritime traffic, vessels, or technologies related to it. The test area is managed and controlled by DIMECC Ltd., the co-creation company leading e.g. the One Sea – Autonomous Maritime Ecosystem. The test area was awarded by a Finnish Government Bureau, Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Southwest Finland. The area will be named “Jaakonmeri Test Area” in remembrance of Dr. Jaakko Talvitie who contributed to the creation of this historical, the first ever, internationally open maritime test area until his untimely passing away.

Companies, research institutes and others wishing to run tests on the area, can contact DIMECC through the One Sea website. DIMECC will then request for the required information and provide test documentation and information. Once the required permits and contracts are in order, the tests can proceed. Individual testing can last from one to a maximum of six weeks.

The Jaakonmeri Test Area is located on the Finnish west coast outside the municipality of Eurajoki. The coordinates for the area are:

NW 61 20.75 N 20 55.15 E

NE 61 19.60 N 21 14.70 E

SE 61 15.65 N 21 12.67 E

SW 61 16.85 N 20 54.55 E

The longest side of the area to the north is approximately 17.85 km long and the western side is approximately 7.10 km long. The area is open water and offers opportunities to test also in ice conditions during the winter. The test area will have excellent data connectivity available. DIMECC will offer the connectivity through their partners. The connectivity services will be developed incrementally and the plan is also to offer other services to enhance the test experience.

DIMECC is already in discussions about the first tests, that will be announced later. The first tests are expected to be started in the spring of 2018. However, it is possible to initiate testing earlier, if there are actors that wish to start testing already in 2017. Enquiries for test area reservations can be made at https://oneseaecosystem.net/test-area/test-application/.

The Finnish government is strongly committed towards a digital future, which can be seen in the decision to establish this test area. According to the Finnish Minister of Transport and Communications Anne Berner: “Promotion of digitalization and extensive utilization of automation and information are the driving forces of the Government key projects.” (See press release by the Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communication https://www.lvm.fi/-/finland-to-take-the-lead-in-automation-experiments-in-the-maritime-sector.) The government has invested in intelligent fairways and the closest one is near the test area, on the fairway to Rauma. The application process has also been strongly supported by various governmental agencies and ministries. These include Trafi – the Finnish Transport Safety Agency, Finnish Transport Agency, Ministry of Transport and Communication, Metsähallitus (Ministry of Forestry) and the Finnish funding agency TEKES only to mention a few.

Extensive testing is the prerequisite for safe and successful autonomous traffic. This has been identified as a crucial step, in the roadmaps generated in One Sea. Opening a test area to all the actors developing maritime autonomy will speed up the process globally and enable proof of concept for the commercial applications in this field.

The One Sea ecosystem, founded in 2016, represents exceptionally advanced co-creation where global leaders in their industries work to reach their joint goal of autonomous traffic. The founding partners in the One Sea – Autonomous Maritime Ecosystem are ABB, Cargotec (MacGregor and Kalmar), Ericsson, Meyer Turku, Rolls-Royce, Tieto and Wärtsilä. The association of Finnish Marine Industries supports the work, and the Finnish funding agency TEKES has invested in the ecosystem. The leader of One Sea is DIMECC.

More information:

Harri Kulmala, CEO, DIMECC Ltd, 040 840 6380, harri.kulmala@dimecc.com

Päivi Haikkola, Ecosystem Lead, DIMECC Ltd, 040 503 8085, paivi.haikkola@dimecc.com

The founding partners in the One Sea – Autonomous Maritime Ecosystem:

ABB

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing more than a 125-year history of innovation, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization and driving the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolutions. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 135,000 employees. www.abb.com

Cargotec

Cargotec (Nasdaq Helsinki: CGCBV) enables smarter cargo flow for a better every day with its leading cargo handling solutions and services. Cargotec’s business areas Kalmar, Hiab and MacGregor are pioneers in their fields. Through their unique position in ports, at sea and on roads, they optimize global cargo flows and create sustainable customer value. Cargotec’s sales in 2016 totaled approximately EUR 3.5 billion and it employs over 11,000 people. www.cargotec.com

Ericsson

Ericsson is a world leader in communications technology and services. Our organization consists of more than 111,000 experts who provide customers in 180 countries with innovative solutions and services. Together we are building a more connected future where anyone and any industry is empowered to reach their full potential. www.ericsson.com

Meyer Turku

Meyer Turku Oy employs over 1,600 persons and specializes in building highly complex, innovative and environmentally friendly cruise ships, car-passenger ferries and special vessels. Together with two sister shipyards in Germany, Meyer Werft in Papenburg and Neptun Werft in Rostock, Meyer Turku is one of the world’s leading cruise ship builders. The successful shipbuilding tradition in Turku has been continuing since 1737. The company is currently building cruise ships for TUI Cruises. The company will also build two cruise ships for Costa Crociere, Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean International. www.meyerturku.fi

Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce’s vision is to be the market-leader in high performance power systems where our engineering expertise, global reach and deep industry knowledge deliver outstanding customer relationships and solutions. We operate across five businesses: Civil Aerospace, Defense Aerospace, Marine, Nuclear and Power Systems. www.rolls-royce.com

Tieto

Tieto aims to capture the significant opportunities of the data-driven world and turn them into lifelong value for people, business and society. We aim to be customers’ first choice for business renewal by combining our software and services capabilities with a strong drive for co-innovation and ecosystems. www.tieto.com

Wärtsilä

Wärtsilä is a global leader in advanced technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasizing sustainable innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximizes the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2016, Wärtsilä’s net sales totaled EUR 4.8 billion with approximately 18,000 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. www.wartsila.com

DIMECC

DIMECC Ltd. is the leading co-creation platform for digital transformation. DIMECC combines the leading companies from manufacturing and digital industries to the academic research. DIMECC’s customers outperformed the non-customers from respective industries during 2009-2014 by all financial measures. www.dimecc.com