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Next Sea Traffic Management Project Approved

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Published Dec 14, 2017 4:38 PM by The Maritime Executive

A new Sea Traffic Management (STM) project, EfficientFlow, has received E.U. funding from the Interreg Central Baltic Programme. 

STM connects and updates ships and ports in real time and facilitates efficient information exchange. The system has been developed in three consecutive E.U.-projects running 2010-2018.

The new EfficientFlow project will contribute to more efficient traffic flow in the two ports of Gävle, Sweden, and Rauma, Finland, as well as in the ScanMed corridor between Stockholm and Turku by implementation of STM and its integration into the full logistic chain. 

The results are expected to be less manual information exchange and practical application of new ICT tools leading to increased situational awareness among the actors in the ports and at sea in the corridors; connected ports and more flexible route planning; improved port-hinterland information exchange; faster and more optimized port operations; improved just-in-time processes, saved fuel, less waiting times, improved planning horizon, improved berth productivity and increased flexibility in case of non-expected events.

The project will run 2018-2020 with a budget of EUR 4.5 million ($5.3 million). Project partners are the Swedish Maritime Administration, Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Port of Rauma, Port of Gävle and the Finnish Transport Agency.

The results achieved will last beyond the lifetime of the project and are transferrable to other ports and countries in the Central Baltic area.

In August this year, the STM Validation project successfully installed the first STM compatible bridge systems, connecting ships with shore based services. The ships equipped were Stena Germanica and two rescue vessels from Swedish Sea Rescue Society: Rescue Märta Collin and Rescue 11-00. Stena Germanica, while on route from Gothenburg to Kiel, automatically shared her route with the two rescue vessels, and at the same time received their routes and displayed them on the ECDIS. The route message format used, developed as a part of the STM Validation project, is transmitted to other ships over ordinary AIS. 

The STM test bed will include 300 ships, 13 ports and at least five shore centers. The STM Validation Project encompasses 39 partners (private, public and academic) from 13 countries and with a total budget of EUR 43 million ($45 million). The project will run from 2015 to 2018.