Excellence in innovation for satellite navigation: Grimaldi honoured by ESA

2 September was the 30^th anniversary of the approval of the ARTES-9 program by the Ministerial Council of the European Space Agency (ESA) — a decision that officially signalled the start of satellite navigation development in Europe, in collaboration with the European Commission, Eurocontrol, and European industry. The event marking this major milestone for Europe, held at the ESTEC (European Space Research and Technology Centre) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, celebrated three decades of satellite navigation while also looking firmly to the future by exploring emerging technologies and even bolder space ambitions.

The event traced the history and main achievements of European satellite navigation, highlighting the key role played by ESA and its partners in the development of this strategic sector. On this occasion, the Grimaldi Group was recognized as a “centre of excellence” for its innovative contribution to the advancement of satellite navigation. Representing the Italian shipping group at the event were Senior Executive Engineer of the Energy Saving, R&D & Ship Design Department Cosimo Cervicato and R&D Consultant Giovanni Bocchetti.

The GSAB2 Project – Grimaldi Satellite Assisted Berthing 2

In recent years, the Grimaldi Group has supported several research projects aimed at enhancing maritime safety and, in particular, at reducing the risks caused by human error through the study and implementation of systems related to autonomous navigation.

In 2023, the Group subsidiary Grimaldi Deep Sea S.p.A. was selected by ESA to participate in a project focused on autonomous ships. Called GSAB2 (Grimaldi Satellite Assisted Berthing 2), it is part of the ESA NAVISP Element 2 program and was assigned to an international consortium led by Grimaldi Deep Sea S.p.A. in collaboration with Kongsberg (Norway), Radiolabs (Italy) and Rina Services S.p.A. (Italy).

GSAB2 is the evolution of the previous GSAB project, which was assigned to the Grimaldi Group by ESA in 2022 with the goal of developing and validating the first satellite-guided assisted berthing system for large Pure Car & Truck Carrier (PCTC) vessels.

Following the success of the earlier project, GSAB2 aims to verify the suitability of the designed system to achieve Autonomy Level 2 as defined by Lloyd’s Register: this condition is met when all actions at ship level are taken by a human operator on board the vessel, but decision support tools can present options or otherwise influence the actions chosen. In addition, GSAB2 will study the prerequisites for reaching Autonomy Level 3, where decisions and actions at ship level are performed autonomously with human supervision.

Launched in May 2024, GSAB2 is scheduled to run for 36 months, covering equipment design, laboratory testing, installation and onboard trials. The project will develop advanced algorithms based on artificial intelligence, as well as interfaces for ship automation systems. It will incorporate the latest satellite-based multi-sensor technologies. The overall goal is to enhance the efficiency of port manoeuvres by increasing safety and reducing CO2 emissions — an objective that is perfectly in line with the Grimaldi Group’s long-standing commitment to making maritime transport more sustainable and secure.

Photo: © ESA-S.Corvaja