Marlow Navigation and Columbia Shipmanagement Sign 'Blue Sky Thinking' Partnership With Lufthansa

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Marlow Navigation and Columbia have underlined their individual commitment to a digital agenda in quality shipmanagement by signing a ground-breaking partnership with Lufthansa Industry Solutions that will pave the way for a new era of blue sky thinking in the maritime sector.

The agreement between Blue Dynamics – a cutting edge software company previously set up by both firms – and Lufthansa Industry Solutions will provide the highest standards of information technology relating to performance monitoring, predictive maintenance, remote sensoring, procurement, logistics, crew planning and other important topics such as development resource sharing, lab utilisation and state-of-the-art development processes.

Lufthansa Industry Solutions has successfully provided several innovative IT solutions to the maritime industry over the years, both in the transport and the cruise sector. The subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group supports its clients along every step of the way toward secure network and internet solutions, from the concept and implementation of IT infrastructures to the optimization of existing ones. Cruise companies also have the option of integrating the Velimo mobile platform, which was developed by Lufthansa Industry Solutions especially for the cruise and tourism industry. The platform offers guests access to a wide range of digital content and smart services.

Mark O’Neil, President of Columbia Shipmanagement, and the future CEO of the merged Columbia Marlow (subject to regulatory approval), welcomed the partnership and said the goal was to create “a truly transformational digital environment consisting of integrated applications and services which will enable the customer to be fully integrated into the management and vessel operation process. It will empower our staff with more information to help them in their decision-making processes, ensure optimisation of maintenance and processes, allow for better monitoring of crew training and pastoral needs, and help immeasurably in achieving economies and efficacies of scale. All this tailored to the specific needs of each individual client, large and small.”

Bernd Appel, Managing Director of Lufthansa Industry Solutions, said that “we very much welcome this partnership between two companies sharing the same values, impeccably high standards and commitment to innovation. Our roots are in aviation, a highly digitized, security-sensitive industry. Lufthansa stands for quality and reliability, which means that we as a subsidiary have good DNA. The sharing of IT solutions between the airline and maritime sectors can only assist both and lead to improved safety, efficacies and efficiencies.”

Marlow and Columbia have long acknowledged the importance of digitalisation in their drive to create a credible, innovative and achievable digital agenda focusing on enhanced planning; environmental awareness; process control; safety; vessel performance monitoring; predictive maintenance and transparency. This development can only fast-track that process.

Both companies established Blue Dynamics several years ago in order to develop an industry leading IT platform and detailed digital agenda, as well as creating the environment for blue sky thinking on the maritime sector and ship management’s future digital needs.

 

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