The Singapore Association of shipbuilders and Services (SASS), Heron AirBridge and CWT Aerospace signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) this week, reports a press release.
The aim is to create a maritime drone delivery service to harboured ships and boats as well as those passing close to shore to transport food, spares and much needed medical supplies. The full potential of marine drone deliveries is yet to be realised due to regulatory restrictions and the lack of a dedicated operational framework across the logistics and cargo industry, but this is changing as seen with another breaking story this week from Skyports and its collaboration with South Korean drone company, Marine Drone Tech.
Danny Lien, president of SASS, commented, “The ship supply and service industry are constantly under pressure to deliver more cost-effective solutions to our customers. Drone logistics delivery holds tremendous potential to transform how our members serve the shipping industry.” He continued, “This collaboration with Heron and CWT Aerospace, market leaders in the Singapore aviation and logistics industries, will enable us to develop system-wide end-to-end solutions to make efficient drone deliveries possible.”
Members of the Partnership Sign the MOU
The release explains, “Capitalising on Singapore’s global maritime hub status, the new partnership seeks to highlight the vast benefits of maritime drone operations, such as shorter lead time, an alternative delivery method in case boats are not allowed in poor sea states, sustainability and the increased technology profile of the marine sector.”
Under the terms of the MOU, the companies will collaborate to:-
: Streamline workflows and processes that will facilitate drone deliveries between land, vessels and offshore platforms.
: Improve the digital infrastructure for drone mission planning, vertiport and flight operations, authority oversight and aviation/marine regulatory compliance.
: Enhance the vertiport infrastructure for logistics processing, customs clearance, aircraft maintenance and storage dedicated to maritime drone support.
Ryan Lee, CEO and co-Founder of Heron AirBridge, pointed out, “Drone operations in the maritime environment have unique complexities and challenges due to the unpredictability of weather, ships’ schedules, and the need to consider other risks at sea. This partnership is a natural extension of our mission to help address the specific needs of the Singapore maritime community.”
Alex Yang, MD of CWT Aerospace, added, “We will combine our technology and aerospace expertise with the logistics and infrastructure capabilities within the CWT Group to develop concepts, solutions and systems for cargo vertiport operations.”
F-Drones Making a Singapore Maritime Delivery (credit: F-Drones)
Background
Established in 1981 by local ship suppliers, SASS aims to advance the interests of its members through technology, training and education. It provides a platform that fosters collaboration between members to accelerate industry advancement. The group recently launched its SASS Academy, which provides sector-specific training programmes to employees of its member companies.
For more information
https://heron-technology.com/airbridge
(Top image: The Singapore Association of Shipsuppliers and Services, Heron AirBridge and CWT Aerospace team up to unlock true value of maritime drone deliveries)