CAPTN@SMM: Sucessful trade show appearance

In the beginning of September (03.-06.09.2024) members of the CAPTN initiative were present to answer questions from visitors in Hamburg. At the SMM we presented our concept for an autonomous and sustainable passenger ferry. At the WTSH joint stand, researchers and partners presented results from the individual projects. This included researchers from the Kiel University of Applied Sciences (FH), such as shipbuilding professor Dr.-Ing. Hendrik Dankowski, doctoral students from the computer science working groups at the FH and Kiel University, who are working on object recognition and autonomous route planning for potential self-driving ferries, as well as industry partners such as ADDIX. The Kiel-based company is developing a robust digital infrastructure that enables fail-safe and real-time communication between ship and shore. Around a dozen experts and specialists from business and politics came to the stand to network and exchange information. We talked about the current state of our research and the future of autonomous shipping in Germany.

The future of autonomous shipping in Germany was the subject of a discussion on the Digital & Security Stage at the start of SMM. “Steering Future – The Future of Autonomous Shipping in Germany” was the title of the event, which was moderated by Kathrin Lau (DVV Media). Prof. Dr. Dirk Nowotka (Dependable Systems Group, CAU, scientific spokesman of the CAPTN initiative), Andreas Mues (Managing Director, Anschütz GmbH), Sönke Stich (Project Manager, Gebr. Friedrich Werft), Manfred Constapel (Head of Maritime Informatics, Fraunhofer CML) and Dr. Phanthian Zuesongdham (Head of Digital and Business Transformation Unit and Head of smartPORT Program Management, Hamburg Port Authority AöR) discussed the future of autonomous shipping in Germany. The participants agreed that joint efforts in this field must be intensified in order to bridge the shortage of skilled workers and keep Germany fit for the future.