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Brenock Technology signs agreement with Virgin Voyages
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Products & services Products & services
- Published: 27 June 2023 27 June 2023
Brenock Technology, LLC, a leading provider of software applications and consulting services for marine, cruise and hospitality sectors, announced today that Virgin Voyages has signed a five-year agreement with Brenock as its port cost management software provider.
Through this agreement, Virgin Voyages will utilize Brenock’s planning and port cost management tool, Integrated Management System (IMS) across its fleet of four ships. Brenock’s planning and management tools are cloud-based and mobile-ready, providing Virgin Voyages with a modern, end-to-end cruise management system.
Virgin Voyages went live with Brenock IMS in January 2023. IMS is the only single-platform solution that offers comprehensive cruise and marine software and manages fees and expenses across all operational categories, including itinerary and contract changes, luggage and transfers, tugs and waste, and billing and forecasting from start to finish.
“We’re thrilled to have Brenock on our side to help keep our voyage itinerary and operations as efficient, productive and organized as possible,” said Juan Trescastro, Vice President of Global Destinations with Virgin Voyages. “Brenock’s tools give us visibility into data and analytics throughout our voyage lifecycles unlike we have ever had before. The ability to control and manage nearly all aspects of a voyage in one platform enables us to continue to scale our fleet and provide the best quality experiences for our Sailors.”
Virgin Voyages will go live with the Brenock planning tool in Q3 2023. The company will be the first cruise line to implement Brenock’s IMS solution.
Brenock IMS will increase the efficiency of planning logistics and managing costs across Virgin Voyages’ fleet, streamlining staffing, resources and invoices for each voyage. The one-platform tool also offers fuel and berth reservation management and marine port call tracking. All capabilities are automated, allowing real-time reporting across every stage of the voyage.
“It has been a pleasure to work with Virgin Voyages and support planning and management across their voyages,” said Manus Walsh, President and Founder of Brenock Technology. “We’re excited to have Virgin Voyages go live will our full suite of cruise planning solutions. We know the importance of having real-time access to operational data at every stage of the cruise lifecycle. Our cloud-based automated solutions enable unmatched visibility to help Virgin Voyages provide seamless and quality experiences for its team, voyage crew and trusted customers.”
Brenock is a trusted solutions provider for the cruise industry, with partners including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, Seabourn and P&O Australia. Brenock’s five-year agreement with Virgin is another milestone in its mission to provide robust lifecycle management solutions that keep clients sailing smoothly.
MacGregor receives a large access equipment order for a cruise vessel
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Products & services Products & services
- Published: 27 June 2023 27 June 2023
MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has received a large order for a comprehensive package of access equipment for a cruise vessel, which will be built at Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France.
The order was booked into Cargotec’s 2023 second quarter orders received. The vessel is scheduled to be delivered to the shipowner during the fourth quarter of 2025.
MacGregor’s scope of supply encompasses design, hardware and commissioning of lifting and other platforms, shell doors, hatch covers and automatic gangways.
“I’m happy to see the cruise business starting to recover after the Covid pandemic and that the shipowners yet again want to invest in new vessels. I’m proud to see that the shipowner and Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard trust us in delivering access solutions to this new cruise vessel,” says Magnus Sjöberg, Senior Vice President, Merchant Solutions, MacGregor.
New approaches for ship design: ECMI rewards the work of a SISSA alumnus in collaboration with Fincantieri
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- Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
- Category: Products & services Products & services
- Published: 27 June 2023 27 June 2023
Marco Tezzele, an alumnus of SISSA, and a current postdoctoral fellow at the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin, has been awarded the prestigious Anile-ECMI 2023 Prize for his outstanding thesis project titled "Data-driven parameter and model order reduction for industrial optimization problems with applications in naval engineering." This project was realized through a collaboration between the mathLab research group at SISSA and Fincantieri.
Tezzele's work aimed to optimize the ship design process through techniques of model and parameter space reduction. In particular, he studied various models used to solve specific problems in naval engineering, such as structural optimization of cruise ships, hull shape optimization for multipurpose vessels and NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) airfoil profiles, and hydroacoustic noise prediction.
The jury highly appreciated his thesis work and unanimously awarded Tezzele the Anile-ECMI 2023 Prize. The prize, established in honour of Professor Angelo Marcello Anile (1948-2007) and jointly funded by ECMI and the Associazione Angelo Marcello Anile, is awarded to a young researcher for excellence in the presentation of a doctoral thesis in industrial mathematics at a European university.
"This award underlines how industrial demands can drive the academic world - by presenting stimulating challenges that lead to highly innovative results capable of advancing the state of the art in applied mathematics. I would like to thank Fincantieri and SISSA for their visionary belief in this project and for their joint efforts to bring it to a successful conclusion," commented Tezzele, who holds an MSc in Applied Mathematics from University of Milan, and a PhD in Mathematical Analysis, Modelling and Applications from SISSA.
Tezzele's research has opened new perspectives in the field of industrial optimization for naval engineering, enabling improved design processes and optimized solutions for a wide range of problems. His collaboration with the mathLab research group at SISSA and Fincantieri has demonstrated the importance of synergy between academia and industry in the field of applied mathematics. The PhD was financed by Fincantieri, confirming the company's commitment to fostering technology transfer from academia to industry. A strategy aimed at enhancing mutual expertise with concrete results and increasing the competitiveness of the shipbuilding group.
In 2021 Tezzele also received the ECCOMAS best PhD Thesis Award in the field of Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering. He is currently working on a NASA’s University Leadership Initiative project at the Oden Institute.
ECMI (The European Consortium for Mathematics in Industry) is a consortium of academic institutions and industrial companies working in collaboration to promote and support the use of mathematical modelling, simulation and optimisation in all areas of social and economic relevance.
Wärtsilä to accelerate Stena Line’s decarbonisation journey through methanol conversions
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- Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
- Category: Products & services Products & services
- Published: 27 June 2023 27 June 2023
Technology group Wärtsilä has been contracted by Swedish ferry operator Stena Line to carry out and convert some of its vessels to operate with methanol fuel. As methanol is one of the key components of decarbonisation in the maritime industry, this contract will equip the vessels with unmatched fuel flexibility, thus marking an important milestone in Stena Line’s journey towards becoming a leader in sustainable shipping.
The conversions, which are scheduled to take place in 2025, will include the fuel supply system and engine modifications, as well as integrating the new installations with the ships’ existing systems. The contracts were booked as order intake by Wärtsilä in June 2023.
Converting ferries for methanol fuel will enable them to be compliant with various existing and upcoming regulations, including the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), FuelEU Maritime, and IMO 2050 GHG reduction target.
"As we continue to implement our strategy to decarbonise all our operations, we see methanol as a viable alternative fuel that will help us achieve this ambition. Wärtsilä has proven its capabilities to carry out the necessary conversions. This was shown eight years ago when they converted the Stena Germanica to operate with methanol, and our experience from this ground-breaking innovation has been very positive," said Ian Hampton of Stena Line.
"We have had close cooperation with Stena Line for many years and we are pleased to be supporting them again in this important conversion project. Like Stena Line, Wärtsilä is committed to making decarbonised shipping operations a reality, and we have invested heavily in developing our engine portfolio to be capable of utilising carbon neutral and zero carbon fuels," commented Roger Holm, President of Wärtsilä’s Marine Power business.
The full scope of Wärtsilä’s supply package will include fuel tank instrumentation and valves, transfer pumps, low pressure pump skid, fuel valve trains, Methanol Fuel Pump Units and the automation of the system, engine conversions, and automation upgrade for the engine control room.
Evac Group appoints Björn Ullbro as new CEO
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Products & services Products & services
- Published: 26 June 2023 26 June 2023
Evac Group, a leading provider of sustainability technology in the maritime and building industry, announced the appointment of Björn Ullbro as its new Chief Executive Officer as of July 1st, 2023. Ullbro will take over the position alongside his current role as the President of Evac Business Line.
With over ten years of experience in the maritime industry, Björn Ullbro has brought a wealth of knowledge to Evac Group after joining the company in late 2021. Commenting on the appointment, the Chairman of the Evac Board, Alan Bowkett, said:
“We are delighted to appoint Björn Ullbro as the new Chief Executive of Evac Group. His deep industry knowledge and strategic mindset make him the ideal choice to lead the company towards a sustainable and successful future. I am confident that under Björn’s leadership, Evac will continue to thrive and reach its ambitious targets."
Björn Ullbro commented on his appointment: “I am honored to be appointed to lead Evac Group. We have a strong brand portfolio with a global reach, a talented team, and a bold ambition to be the leader in sustainability in our industry. I look forward to working with the team to deliver exceptional value to our customers and a step-up in business performance as we strive on our strategic mission: a future with no waste."
Björn Ullbro holds a master’s degree in accounting and finance from Hanken School of Economics and has, before joining Evac, held several key leadership positions at Wärtsilä Corporation.
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