New safety messaging systems: VDES; the international MaDaMe project
The inspection ship Poul Løwenørn has been fitted with equipment that allows the vessel to receive and transmit data via VDES (VHF Data Exchange System) and LTE (Long-Term Evolution) networks. This installation is part of a project aimed at developing and testing safer communication services for ships.
Secure communication systems and equipment play a crucial role in maritime safety. Therefore, the international MaDaMe project (Maritime Data Methods for Safe Shipping) aims to develop digital transport infrastructure services in the Baltic Sea region and support the introduction of so-called smart routes. The services being developed seek to ensure cyber-secure exchange of messages and communication between the authorities responsible for maritime traffic management and the ships operating in the area.
It is understood that Poul Løwenørn will contribute to the project by testing digital navigational warnings and ship traffic services. The actual testing will be carried out in 2025, where navigational warnings will be displayed directly on the ship’s electronic chart. This is a significant leap forward compared to the mandatory equipment currently required for international shipping, which is based on nearly 50-year-old telex technologies.
The MaDaMe project is funded by the EU’s Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme and coordinated by the Finnish Turku University of Applied Sciences. The new equipment on Poul Løwenørn was installed by Sternula and Polaris Electronics A/S.
For more on the MaDaMe project readers are invited to see the link here:
Based on material kindly provided by the Danish Maritime Authority’s news service.
Rapporteur: Paul Ridgway