Norway enters into a new agreement on autonomous ships

– Norway has signed a new agreement with Great Britain, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands to facilitate better cooperation on the international operation of autonomous ships.

This is reported by the Ministry of Trade and Fisheries in a press release.

The countries must cooperate on the requirements to be placed on autonomous ships when they operate outside national waters, pending international regulations. Especially within the development of offshore wind, there is growing interest in the use of autonomous ships, for example for inspection and maintenance, the ministry believes.

I believe in the Norwegian market

– This collaboration can help to establish a new international market for the Norwegian maritime industry. The Norwegian maritime industry is far ahead in the development of autonomous solutions. The collaboration will create an arena for further developing efficient and safe solutions for autonomous operation, and will be able to play an important role for our maritime companies in the years to come, says Fisheries and Oceans Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss, according to the press release.

Acting shipping director Alf Tore Sørheim believes the agreement is about the future of shipping.

– When several large shipping nations join forces to facilitate and simplify the operation of autonomous ships, predictability also increases for the maritime industry, says Sørheim, according to the press release.