MARITIME SIMULATION

Right now, preparations are in full swing for transforming a building in Barendrecht into one of the world’s largest and most advanced maritime training centres. “Kongsberg’s simulators and technology play a crucial role in this context,” explains co-founder Marcel Kind. “We offer shipping companies and other maritime organisations the opportunity to perform trainings, assessments and research at our premises under their own name and with their own look & feel. However, we provide more than just facilities – we can also offer our clients extensive support by a team of training specialists, mathematical modellers and other experts. You could call it ‘maritime simulation as a service’.

SIMWAVE FOUNDERS MARCEL KIND (LEFT) & JOOST VAN REE

FULL MISSION

Among other things, the 5,000m² training centre will be housing ‘full mission’ simulators that feature a more or less full-scale replica of a ship’s entire bridge, supported by a 360° projection. A ‘world first’ in this context is the simulator’s surface-level projection (water, quay) from the bridge wings. For the seven engine room simulators, the centre will be constructing a full-size replica of a ship’s engine room across two storeys of the building. This will be complemented by simulators for tugboats, offshore support vessels and inland vessels, as well as simulators that focus on navigation, communications and emergency response operations for vessels transporting chemical, LNG, LPG or oil products.

Co-founder Joost van Ree: “We will be offering our clients the best training and assessment options available. In addition, our infrastructure is very well suited for applied research. And finally, the layout of the centre not only allows for terminal operations exercises. We can also accommodate extensive advance testing, in terms of accessibility and safety, of plans for expanding or constructing a port or waterway, the relocation of a large-scale structure or the deployment of tugboats.”