Some open thoughts about remote Most of us, who are involved in shipping, have heard something about remote
and autonomous solutions. The best known companies, involved in this
business, might be Rolls-Royce and Kongsberg.
In July 2018 Rolls-Royce announced that it
has signed an agreement to sell its
Commercial Marine business to Kongs-berg.
The transaction is structured as an acquisi-tion
by Kongsberg of the marine products,
systems and aftermarket services businesses
carried out by subsidiaries of Rolls-Royce.
Despite the acquisition, there might still be a
long way and many more years to go, before the
remote and autonomous solutions can be put in
everyday practise. The tests made so far have
shown, that it is possible to develop remote and
autonomous solutions, but for example the
legislation and the insurance market has not
developed in the same rapid speed as technology
has. Even the question of what kind of legislation
32 SUOMEN MERENKULKU J FINLANDS SJÖFART
could be applicable, is still an open question.
Should it be the Maritime Law, and who would be
considered the captain of the autonomous vessel
in that case? Or could it be the Product Liability
Law that might be applicable, and when is the
product considered to be safe enough, and the
product standards met, when they are not even
set yet? So far, there seem to be many questions,
but very few answers.
Despite the uncertainties especially in
regulation, Rolls-Royce have been a central part
in developing the remote solutions for example of
Finferries ferry Falco (IMO 8685741). The main
idea is, to develop a safer vessel with autonomous
navigation (SVAN). In recent years, Rolls-Royce
developed further especially Remote & Autono-