Marine navigation system to be self-developed
Korea will develop a next-generation marine navigation system by 2018 to help with the United Nation’s effort to enhance safety and security of commercial shipping on the high seas, the government said.
The Ministry of Ocean and Fisheries said the government is seeking to take the lead in so-called e-Navigation, a concept developed under the auspices of the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) to increase safety and security in commercial shipping.
The IMO, which decided to introduce e-Navigation in 2006 to reduce maritime accidents caused by human error, is pushing to revise international treaties.
The ministry plans to invest 210 billion won ($198.9 million) between 2015 and 2020 to develop a Korean-style next-generation ocean navigation system.
“We have world-class expertise in shipbuilding, and marine shipping and information and communications technology that are considered essential to develop e-Navigation,” said Lim Hyun-churl, the assistant minister for maritime affairs and safety policy bureau at the ministry. “And we’ll make the best out of this chance to lead the global market and create jobs.”
The ministry said it will focus on introducing standardized marine navigation devices for international freight carriers. It also said it will provide an integrated system in organizing data on ships and on shore for sailors to acquire voyage information and avoid possible accidents. It added the ships will be able to communicate with ports more effectively through the satellite system.
Besides international shippers, the ministry said its e-Navigation will provide a customized service for Korean coastal waters.
“Our customized service will be beneficial for fishing boats and freighters that operate near the shallow coast,” Hwang Eui-seon, director of the maritime industry and technology division at the ministry said.
“These ships are usually not equipped with satellite receivers, and so will be able to communicate with ports by using wireless telephone network systems. We anticipate we’ll be able to sell our customized service to Southeast Asian countries.”
According to the ministry, the e-Navigation market is expected to reach 1.200 quadrillion won over 10 years once the system is introduced in 2018.
The ministry said that it aims to capture 20 percent of the market by using its shipbuilding, and marine shipping and information and communications technology.
The IMO decided to develop e-Navigation in 2006 following requests from the United Kingdom, the United States, Norway, the Netherlands, Japan, Singapore and The Marshall Islands to introduce appropriate measures to reduce maritime accidents.
Of the IMO members, the United States, and Europe currently lead in the development of e-Navigation, according to the ministry.
The IMO governs the regulatory framework for ocean freight shipping. It attributes 89 percent of maritime accidents to sailors’ inexperience in operating complicated navigation tools and difficulty in getting the necessary voyage information on time.
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