The technology group Wärtsilä has acquired Guidance Marine Limited, a privately owned company with offices in the UK, Singapore and the USA. Guidance Marine is recognised as a technology leader in the marine industry for sensor solutions relating to dynamic positioning and other vessel control systems, such as collision avoidance and remote control operations, the company said in its press release.
The acquisition of Guidance Marine will enhance Wärtsilä's capabilities in the area of situational awareness and near-field measurement, both essential for more intelligent vessel navigation.
"Guidance Marine's core competences are wide ranging and include the development of sophisticated positional measurement sensors and systems for high accuracy control applications. These competences complement our own activities in the field of radar technology, navigation and dynamic positioning, by joining forces we can certainly further accelerate the introduction of solutions that will take shipping into a new era of efficiency," says Maik Stoevhase, Director, Automation, Navigation & Communication, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.
Founded in 1991, Guidance Marine has developed critical in-house capabilities, including a dozen patents for various technologies and a ready portfolio of closely related products. In its research and development activities, the company has also established strong connections with a number of leading UK universities. In 2016, Guidance Marine's turnover was GBP 6.3m (EUR 7.0m). Guidance Marine employs over 50 people worldwide and is an internationally successful award winning company. It has a strong track record in delivering significant safety and cost benefits by bringing disruptive position measurement technologies to marine markets across several continents.