AP Moller-Maersk has launched a new digital initiative to support start-ups in what marks the latest step in its strategic shift from conglomerate to shipping and logistics giant.
New venture OceanPro is an India-focused unit which will partner Maersk with start-ups on a 120-day accelerator programme.
Soren Skou, chief executive of AP Moller, said in a statement: “We recognize the immense potential of India’s technology and digital talent and are looking to capitalize on these capabilities to help the logistics industry worldwide, to reinvent itself.
“With Maersk leading the technological transformation of the Shipping and Logistics Indus-try which has traditionally been driven by manual processes, OceanPro is yet another effort by us to promote the creation of innovative solutions that meet evolving business needs.”
The first phase will see the Copenhagen-listed company working with eight start-ups.
Unido Labs, La Vela Pictures, Zasti, Inatrix, MintM, LinkedDots, KrypC and Dhruv will partner with Maersk to develop customer engagement and operations management, leveraging Blockchain, Internet of Things, Advance Text Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, the statement said.
“The OceanPro program as well as our investment in the Bangalore based Maersk Technology Center, that opened in 2017, are testament to Maersk’s commitment to lever-aging technology and innovation to accelerate its overall transformation in becoming the global integrator of container logistics” said Navneet Kapoor, chief transformation officer at AP Moller-Maersk.
Maersk has now come up with ways to divest three of its four energy businesses as it refocuses on shipping and logistics.
Only Maersk Supply Service has yet to find a way to separate from the group after the sales of Maersk Oil and Maersk Tankers and plans to list Maersk Drilling.
