The maritime industry is not new to the simulation technique and has, in reality, been using this technique in automation as well as numerous other applications. The rising implementation of advanced technologies & automation in the maritime sector has surged the need for ship bridge simulators. The Asia-pacific region has rising passenger traffic and massive import & export businesses; as a result, the region is likely to be in major need of marine systems equipped with ship bridge simulators.

The maritime sector is transiting toward autonomy by enabling assistance in navigation and decision support systems using simulations. At some point in time, if two autonomous vessels crafted by different producers come across each other, how will these vessels communicate? How intricate will the navigation be? Will the ships discuss intricate navigational maneuvers? Will the two autonomous systems be able to communicate in a proper way? Simulation or formulating mathematical models to impersonator trustworthy real-world effects can offer numerous solutions to these questions.

The marine industry is not new to the simulation technique and has, in reality, been using this technique in automation as well as numerous other applications. For example, simulation is used for coaching squads for new vessels before these vessels delivered for crane management and towing in seaports to check loopholes in ship systems and other purposes. For years, simulators are extensively used in training and certification mainly in the Maritime Education and Training (MET). They are used in numerous areas of the marine sector including cargo handling, crane operations, system control, offshore operation training on ships, bridge operations, and towing & anchor handling. Such a wide range of applications of simulators has propelled their demand in recent years. A report by Research Dive reveals that the global ship bridge simulator market growth is expected to skyrocket and the market is anticipated to garner significant revenue in the upcoming years.

Alexander Ozersky, the Deputy Director-Intellectual Systems at Wärtsilä Voyage Solutions, believes that simulation is a technique that permits to do mistakes without triggering any severe outcomes in the real world. A vessel can need nearly ten years to develop or redesign its system. However, by making use of simulation techniques one is able to do it more quickly, more safely, and at a reasonable price. This is why a simulation-based method was used to attest to the functionality of COLREGS (Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea) in Wärtsilä Navi-Harbour vessel traffic management system with ClassNK, a global leader in ship classification.

Panorama of the Ship Bridge Simulator Market:

There is a tremendous need for skilled ship operators or watch captains on a vessel for directing navigation, map plotting, weather monitoring, fire management, observation, search, and operation rehearsals. Also, there has been significant development in war systems and technologies; for example, electronic as well as network-centric wars use ship bridge simulators for testing systems. In addition, the rising implementation of advanced technologies & automation in the marine sector has surged the need for ship bridge simulators. Moreover, strict rules issued by maritime lawmakers for proficient coaching of electronic war workforces have propelled the demand for ship bridge simulators in recent years. All these factors portray that the global ship bridge simulator market is accelerating at a rapid pace and is expected to reach significant heights in the coming years.

In the past few years, ship makers have observed that the virtual reality simulation is considerably more proficient than conventional marine simulator training. In virtual simulation devices, a helmet is used that shows a video and is assimilated with sound effects and simulation sensor systems. With these sensors, the virtual simulation helmet can detect activities of the user’s extremities. The incorporation of such advanced technologies is opening doors to lavishing opportunities for market growth.

The Asia-pacific region has rising passenger traffic and massive import & export businesses. As a result, the region is likely to be in major need of marine systems and hence, be a major revenue contributor for the market growth. On the other hand, the North American region is projected to stand at a second position in terms of growth in the ship bridge simulator market. This is majorly owing to the stringent regulations issued by the governments in the region for upholding standard security. The LAMEA region is foreseen to witness continuous growth due to the evolving marine trades in these regions.

The Lookout of the Market during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has struck the maritime industry with various unprecedented challenges that hampered its supply chain and compelled quicker implementation of digital technologies in numerous areas of maritime operations, including the area of MET. As the virus was capable to multiply at a rapid pace with person-to-person interaction, several processes that need the physical presence of working personnel have been either postponed or limited for averting human mobility, as a protection measures against the COVID-19 virus. The termination of physical training programs, lockdown, and travel restrictions have triggered several difficulties for seafarers to obtain or uphold their certificates of proficiency. As the MET industry is also experiencing various challenges in ensuring the endurance of the MET activities, and in coping and adapting to the restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ship bridge simulator market growth is expected to decline to a certain extent until the pandemic relaxes.

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Aishwarya Korgaonkar holds a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from the esteemed Mumbai University. Being creative and artistic, she leaped into the field of digital marketing and content writing. Her love for words makes her write creative and spellbinding content that adds colors to the world.