MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has acquired the rights to a ship efficiency software tool from Lekven that it says will help to increase the efficiency of ro-ro vessel operations and to drive port call optimisation.
According to the contract, MacGregor acquires the rights for an operational efficiency software system for ships, ports and adjacent activities. This software will be further developed and launched to the market during 2017.
MacGregor's cargo access equipment is installed on many of the world's deepsea ro-ro fleet. The company says that its solutions optimise and enhance the functionality of such ships by harmonising the essential cargo flow functions of access, stowage, care and handling.
Endre Lekven, who developed the software, says: "MacGregor is very well known and a respected player in the ro-ro business. It has long experience and has pioneered many new services and solutions to the market over the years.
"This collaboration is an ideal fit for MacGregor as part of our strategy is to support ro-ro shipowners and operators to improve their existing and future fleet efficiency by eliminating inefficiencies, for smarter cargo handling," says Magnus Sjöberg, vice president, ro-ro division, MacGregor. "We are now focusing on improving logistics efficiency of pure car and truck carriers (PCTC) and minimising their waiting time."
Alexander Nürnberg, senior vice president, research and development and technology, MacGregor added: "According to our strategy, we focus on widening our digital offering portfolio, and ships efficiency software is a natural addition to it. This business intelligence software is first of its kind in the market. It is easy to operate and has clear interfaces and reports. The software has had a 15-month trial with a global PCTC shipowner/operator in European ports, showing very positive results."
