Yet another consortium partner representing the academia is the Aalto University (AALTO).
Meet the Partners #10 – Aalto University (AALTO), Finland
Aalto University is a beacon of interdisciplinary excellence, blending science, art, technology, and business to forge breakthroughs that transcend traditional boundaries. Celebrated as the 9th best young university globally (QS Top 50 Under 50, 2021) and lauded as a top technology challenger (THE 2017), Aalto’s approach to innovation in research collaboration and funding sets a global benchmark. In 2023, Marine/ocean engineering of Aalto University was ranked #19 ShanghaiRanking.[ZM1]
Aalto University‘s Marine and Arctic Technology Group (MAT) is dedicated to leveraging emerging technologies to revolutionize performance and safety in marine sector. The research is primarily focused on understanding the behavior of ships, offshore structures, and their systems in various conditions, including severe wave and ice scenarios. Integrating principles from solid and fluid mechanics, safety science, and scientific computing, their efforts aim to significantly enhance the intelligence, safety and efficiency of maritime transportation and operations.
Aalto University‘s participation in the RETROFIT55 project via its MAT group contributes to operational and technology solution optimizations to enhance ship efficiency. This project gains from the collective expertise of MAT’s dedicated faculty and researchers in marine hydrodynamics and intelligent marine systems. Their efforts are focused on conducting studies with the potential to offer valuable insights and modestly influence positive changes within the maritime industry.
Currently, a key innovation from Aalto includes the validation of a web-based tool designed to identify retrofitting opportunities for ships, focusing on technology options (ship retrofit) that maximize energy savings and underscore the benefits of energy-saving solutions available within the project. Aalto University is advancing AI tools to predict ship motions and fuel consumption under realistic conditions, aiming to enhance navigation safety and operational efficiency. The motion prediction model facilitates safer decision-making, while the fuel consumption model evaluates the impact of weather on energy use, a crucial step toward developing AI-based weather routing. These efforts demonstrate Aalto’s commitment to pioneering intelligent shipping technologies, reducing maritime operations’ environmental impact in partnership with industry leaders.
In the future, as we move forward, Aalto University will continue to play a crucial role in the hydrodynamic optimization of ships and in the virtual demonstrations of cutting-edge maritime technologies. Through rigorous validation, Aalto University will test weather routing tools, hydrodynamic optimization, and the development of WASP and ALS systems.
