Coronavirus is causing significant problems for the maritime industry, with volatile supply and demand, port closures, and difficulties with crew changes. Despite the difficulties, the maritime technology community is fighting back against the virus, with a number of startups, tech companies, and other businesses launching services or providing data to help the industry cope with the strain.

We have compiled a list of resources that have been made available, many of them for free, to help the industry deal with the disruption.

• UK based shiptech startup Geollect has launched a Covid-19 information dashboard to make it easier to track cases and news across geographical areas.
• Wilhelmsen Ship Services has launched a Global Covid-19 Port Restriction Map, detailing active restrictions and special requirements for ships sailing to ports around the world.
• Israeli tech scaleup Windward has launched a map proving that the maritime industry is keeping the world afloat. Showing users how many ships are currently inbound to their country with supplies.
• Geophysical technology company ION is offering their Marlin SmartPort solution to ports free for three months to help them share information online and ease the strain on communications caused by remote working.
• In partnership with Inchcape World of Ports, PortXchange has launched the Stay Healthy and Connected initiative, offering ports free access to their software during the crisis.
• Guernsey based tech company Motion Ventures have launched a secure health monitoring system for ships’ crews. It is being tested with the UK government and a shore-based version is in use with a Fortune 500 FMCG client. For more information make an enquiry here.
• Maritime satellite provider Inmarsat is offering a 50% discount on voice calls for seafarers plus, in partnership with Vikand and FrontM, a free video call service for seafarers wishing to speak with a trained health professional. Click here for more information.
• Crew health and wellbeing software startup Big Yellow Fish is temporarily offering free access to their human element and wellbeing monitoring software to support seafarer mental health. See more information on their website.
• Recognising that demurrage & detention fees caused by the crisis are causing difficulty for freight forwarders and cargo owners, container tracking startup Dockflow has released a free demurrage and detention fee monitoring tool. Find more information here.
• Port IoT solution provider Rombit has developed a smart bracelet that helps employees in ports maintain social distancing while maintaining user privacy. The solution is already in use in the Port of Antwerp. Find out more here.
• Smart container solution provider Traxens has launched new pricing to help their partners manage problems arising from COVID-19. It is now possible to add full smart container tracking for $35 per dry container per ship. Find out more here.

We will keep this list of initiatives updated and continue to distribute it so if you are working on something for the benefit of the community or know of something we should be aware of please get in touch.

Source: Thetius