[VIDEO] Wärtsilä presents initiative to transform the marine and energy industry

Shipping is by far the most cost-effective way to move goods and people around the world. As consumer demand increases, maritime businesses are faced with major opportunities to improve operational inefficiencies that impose a significant negative impact on profitability and sustainability. Better port-to-port fuel efficiency, reduced congestion in ports and high traffic areas, the introduction of real-time communication between stakeholders – these issues have become critical to transforming maritime trading today.

Addressing issues, such as increased consumer demand, forms the basis of Wärtsilä’s drive to activate a smart ecosystem. This requires collaboration across multiple segments and active involvement in leveraging emerging technologies.

Namely, Wärtsilä aims to connect 20 of the most influential marine cities by 2020 into a network that will inspire cooperation as an essential ingredient to drive forward this journey of transformation. The network will support the adoption and deployment of best practices, embrace digitalisation and legislate new environmentally friendlier, sustainable and smarter ways of doing business across our oceans.

In addition, an assembly of key influencers from five marine cities have already been brought together to determine how these cities can best take advantage of a Smart Ecosystem and all its cascading benefits to society at large.

Specifically, the Ecotone will combine two natural ecosystems creating a third one. This vision suggests that these 20 cities port areas begin housing innovation hubs. These would be dedicated to the piloting of developments that may potentially be realized in the same port or elsewhere following a small-scale test phase.

Moreover, the Mangrove will provide a new way to look at the coastline and is both self-sufficient and fully powered by renewable energy. The top of the Mangrove also provides a new green space for the city’s visitors and inhabitants. Small vessels and underground tunnels connect the Mangrove to the mainland.

Finally, the Blue Belt situates the new “smart port” at a remove from the shore, while the city coastline is given a radical clean-up, ensuring swimmable waters and a new setting for residential and commercial development at the core of the urban environment.