MacGregor, part of Cargotec, and Rolls-Royce have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on research and development to explore the impact of developments in autonomy for cargo ship navigation and cargo systems onboard container ships. This collaboration will harness both companies' unique experience laying the groundwork for the development of autonomous container ships, the company said in its press release.
Asbjørn Skaro, Rolls-Royce, Director Digital and Systems, said: "Rolls-Royce is pioneering remotely controlled and autonomous ships and believes such a remote controlled ship will be in commercial use by the end of the decade and a common sight on the high seas by 2030. For the full benefits of such a change to be realised many activities currently done today manually will need to be done autonomously. This research will help us explore how that might be achieved.
As a leading provider of cargo handling solutions and services for container vessels, MacGregor brings a detailed knowledge of the cargo sector and can provide valuable insights into marine cargo operations and the technology and systems needed to make them as efficient and safe as possible