CMA CGM

Global shipping group CMA CGM announced this week (5 June) it is collaborating with Shone, a San Francisco-based startup that specialises in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for maritime transportation.

This collaboration enables Shone to access the CMA CGM Group vessels to finalise the development of AI systems on board container ships, CMA CGM said in a press release.

'CMA CGM allows Shone to take onboard data collection systems which are then analysed at the startup’s headquarters in San Francisco. Once the development is finalised, this innovation will facilitate the work of crews on board, whether in decision support, maritime safety or piloting assistance,' the statement said.

As far as security and anti-collision alert systems are concerned, Shone fuses data from multiple sensors (radar, camera, AIS) in order to increase detection accuracy, thus preventing potential collisions, taking into account COLREGs, CMA CGM added.

'This collaboration is fully in line with the group's strategy of innovation at the service of digital transformation implemented by Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group,' the press release said.

Shone is a tech startup based in San Francisco. Founded by three French engineers, Shone aims to become the world reference in the field of AI on board ships.

CMA CGM, headed by Rodolphe Saadé, operates 494 vessels that call at over 420 ports across five continents. In 2017, the group carried 19m TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).