2022 was an unforgettable year for SeaBot Maritime, our customers and supporters. Here, we look through the highlights of a particularly eventful and successful year.
TRAINING NEXT GENERATION MARITIME
SeaBot Maritime launched our industry leading MASS (Maritime Autonomous Ship Systems) Certified Professional (MCP) Training Scheme in 2022. We are working with organisations to underpin their operational safety case and assuring new ways of working with autonomy. We are helping people and technology to co-exist.
From our UK headquarters at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, in 2022 we delivered the first of a number of MASS Remote Operator Training Courses to our long-term customer, Fugro, for its Middle East remote operations personnel.
Our CEO, Gordon Meadow, comments, “We worked with the UK MCA (Maritime & Coastguard Agency) to gain approval of our training scheme, and we are now the first flag approved Generic Training provider in maritime remote operations.”
“I am thrilled that SeaBot Maritime has provided the solution to underpin generic uncrewed vessel personnel to conduct remote operations, it’s a great step forward for industry. This is a proud moment for us, and we are excited to be rolling this training out through our international partners throughout 2023 and beyond.”
We are also extremely proud of our work with deep-water specialist, SBM Offshore, whose vision is to become a knowledge-based company whose crew regularly learn and also have the support to self-upskill.
SeaBot Maritime created a new e-learning solution from the existing instructor-led material for 2,600 specialist personnel who work onboard SBM Offshore’s FPSO vessels, which are located in Guyana and Suriname.
This eLearning consists of 30 safety-critical training modules being rolled out in both English and Brazilian Portuguese.
840 SBM Offshore crew members have now successfully completed Seabot Maritime’s bespoke-designed eLearning training solution, with a 98% pass rate to date.
CHAMPIONING THE BIGGER PICTURE
2022 saw CEbotiX, which originated following an MOU between SeaBot Maritime, the National Oceanography Centre and the Royal Navy, evolve further in its pledge for Excellence in Marine Robotics, Maritime Autonomy and Smart Shipping; thanks to the National Oceanography Centre, Royal Navy, Maritime Enterprise, Solent LEP, BMT, Sonadyne, Frazer Nash, and SubSea Craft.
Co-founded by Gordon Meadow, with Fugro's Ross Macfarlane, the MASSPeople international working group for remote and autonomous training standards, announced the confirmed membership of nine flag states this year, bringing focus to the people behind the maritime industry's technology revolution. MASSPeople shares the challenges of developing world-class training and competency standards for the maritime workforce of tomorrow.
COME AND JOIN US!
We strengthened our executive team in 2022, welcoming aboard three fantastic new colleagues.
Our new Chairman, Steve Brunton, CBE: Steve, Rear Admiral RN Retired, brings with him a huge breadth of experience across Naval defence and the commercial maritime sector.
Jon Feaver joined us as Head of Training and Competence, and Hannah Kent Colls as Head of Engagement.
We are on the lookout for more amazing people, and we can’t wait to meet you.
A FULL YEAR OF EVENTS
2022 was a jam-packed year for live, hybrid and virtual events, including: Oceanology, MASWRG Conference, NorShipping, IT²EC, DPRTE, Solent Freeport Launch, UK Marine Pilots Association (MPA) Conference, CNE (Combined Naval Event), SMI Conference, Seawork, Maritime UK Week, Connected & Autonomous Vehicle Workshop, IMAREST Conference and MATS.
We also were delighted to present at a variety of events, seminars and conferences spanning the enterprise and defence sectors, both in the UK and globally.
BY SPECIAL REQUEST
Our team was honoured to be invited to a number of high-profile discussions and events in 2022.
Our Chair, Steve Brunton CBE, together with Gordon Meadow and Ross Macfarlane, were invited to NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium to brief the NATO Naval Armaments Group on the methodology used to develop, standardise and implement MASS competencies in marine autonomy.
SeaBot Maritime was one of the few SMEs invited to speak at the IT²EC Conference. Gordon was humbled to co-present at IT²EC a session with the Royal Navy's Captain Dan Vincent, Head of Future Training and Director of People & Training. They illustrated ways in which the Royal Navy and SeaBot Maritime are working together to ensure the maritime industry attracts, nurtures and shapes a future workforce capable of undertaking some of the most digitally advanced roles in the world within the maritime domain.
The NavyX Briefing and Vessel Tour of the Royal Navy's XV Patrick Blackett experimental vessel, created interested discussions around autonomous systems, together with people-technology integration. The tour, which was held in Portsmouth Navy Base (UK), was delivered in association with the UK MOD (Ministry of Defence), BattleLab, Defence Innovation and the Defence Security Accelerator teams.
Amongst other exclusive gatherings, Gordon was also privileged to attend a dinner reception with 2SL Vice Admiral Martin Connell, CBE at Admiralty House, on His Majesty's Naval Base, Portsmouth in celebration of Maritime Enterprise, together with one of SeaBot Maritime's stalwart supporters, the Royal Navy's Head of Maritime Enterprise Engagement, Captain Allan Youp.
FUNDING FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PORTAL
We were recently awarded a grant from Ufi VocTech Trust for SeaBot Maritime's Global Maritime Portal.
The Global Maritime Portal (GMP) is a multi-solution platform, underpinning maritime industry talent and business asset management, allowing companies to effectively manage the competence of their workforce.
The GMP will be launched in Spring 2023. Early registrants will receive free access to the beta site - please click here to register your interest.
AWARD WINNERS
We were delighted to be selected as runner up in the Safety4Sea Training Award for our work with another of our long-term customers, SBM Offshore.
We were also thrilled to be announced the winner of the Future Skills Award at the Maritime UK Solent Awards, among stiff competition.
THE PASSING OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, QUEEN ELIZABETH II
We joined the country in mourning at the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, and we celebrated her 70-year unwavering commitment to her country.
THANK YOU
We are enormously proud of what we have achieved in 2022, and we look forward to working with our existing and new customers in the future.
We are truly grateful and would not be here if it was not for each and every one of you. As ever, we would not be here without our incredible customers, supporters and team. Thank you.
From all of us at SeaBot Maritime, here's to another superb year in 2023.
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