Major supplier of low and zero-emission propulsion and control systems Norwegian Electric Systems (NES) is set to acquire vessel dynamic positioning provider Undheim Systems.
NES said the planned acquisition is a strategic move to accelerate plans to offer greater digital functionality and meet a growing need for decision support tools and autonomous ship operations.
Undheim Systems has developed a flexible and competitive dynamic positioning (DP) system for vessels of all sizes, NES said.
“By adding DP capabilities to our product portfolio, we will be able to provide an even more complete data-driven and digital offering for cost-efficient vessel operations,” said NES managing director Siv Remoy-Vangen.
She said NES already provides digital decision support systems to cut operating expenditure and emissions, but the purchase would add “an important building block to help make safe and reliable autonomous sailing capabilities a reality.”
Egersund- based Undheim Systems has delivered DP systems to about 60 vessels, and has a solid order backlog for its JPOS product, NES said.
Bergen-based NES plans to integrate the company’s expertise and technology with its energy design and smart control systems which includes vessel navigation, automation and control equipment. It also has an office in Egersund which will be used to co-locate teams.
Combining technologies will also enable semi-autonomous functionality, NES added.
“The combination is an obvious plug-and-play solution that we can offer to today’s vessels for both retrofit installations and newbuilds,” said founder and owner of Undheim Systems, Stein Magnus Undheim.
He said it could also provide an important piece of the jigsaw towards autonomous vessels with the delivery of automatic docking systems for ferries being an obvious first step.
Remoy-Vangen said NES customers had previously asked it to combine DP systems with its vessel navigation equipment but until now it had had to acquire them from third-party suppliers.
NES is part of the HAV Group and the purchase of 100% of the shares in Undheim Systems will be made with cash and shares in HAV.
Last year the group pulled out of a purchase deal for compatriot technology firm Hoglund Marine Solutions.
