Rolls-Royce opens autonomous ship R&D facility in Finland

Rolls-Royce has opened a research and development facility in Turku, Finland to develop autonomous ship technologies. The new Research & Development Centre for Autonomous Ships enables the OEM and its partners to carry out projects focused on autonomous navigation, the development of land-based control centres, and the use of artificial intelligence in future remote and autonomous shipping operations. Speaking at the official opening on 25 January 2018, Rolls-Royce president of marine, Mikael Makinen, said, “I’m proud to say that the R&D Centre is now up and running and that all stakeholders, partners and customers will be able to see here what a remote-controlled and autonomous maritime future could look like, and work with us to shape the future.” The new facility includes a Remote and Autonomous Experience Space with several interactive tables that showcase the autonomous ship technologies Rolls-Royce has already introduced, as well as those in the development stage, while aiding the development and introduction of new rules and standards for autonomous shipping. “The centre allows us to more accurately communicate our capabilities, what we have available today and what will be available tomorrow,” said Karno Tenovuo, Rolls-Royce senior VP, ship intelligence. “It will completely focus on the development of solutions capable of smoothing the maritime industry’s transition to the digital age. An autonomous maritime ecosystem will open up unprecedented opportunities.”