Trelleborg’s marine systems operation has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Third Harbor Consultants Company (THCC), one of China’s largest survey and design institutions in transportation and port engineering, and subsidiary of the state-owned China Communications Construction Company (CCCC).
The MoU was confirmed during a signing ceremony at Hotel Wanda Reign on the Bund, Shanghai (November 6).
The joint collaboration will see the co-authoring of mooring and infrastructure design whitepapers and provides the potential for the co-development of new marine technologies to support the evolution of China’s ports and vessels. Across a number of its upgrade projects THCC will also trial AutoMoor, Trelleborg’s rope-free, automated mooring system that uses smart technologies to enable faster berthing and improve safety levels within the port environment. This will enable theoretical and empirical studies of mooring analysis versus actual site performance.
Richard Hepworth, President of Trelleborg’s marine systems operation, says: “Vessel sizes are becoming larger, competition is increasing and broader alliances between shipping lines are being established.
These factors combine to put increased pressure on ports and terminals. Our industry is famously conservative, but change is coming quickly. There will be a need for more collaboration - as different stakeholders have different strengths. This will make partnerships throughout the supply chain and across industries critical.
“Strategically, this is what both we and THCC are already doing. Collaborating. To further innovation and enable improvements for our ports and vessels. The Chinese market is incredibly important to Trelleborg. We look forward to working closely with THCC and learning more from them about where our product development should focus in order to best meet the needs of China’s world class ports as they continue to evolve.”
Mr Shen Ming Da, Board Chairman of THCC, says: “THCC is committed to the evolution of ports and terminals both domestically and internationally. Therefore the signing of the MoU with Trelleborg, which strives to facilitate port and terminal operational optimization, is a natural progression of our existing relationship. Bringing both organizations together allows us to capitalize on the best of both companies, to the benefit of facilities across China and beyond.”
Prior to the signing of the MoU, Trelleborg hosted a technical seminar in Shanghai (September 26) providing THCC consultants and engineers with a comprehensive overview of AutoMoor and its wider SmartPort portfolio. SmartPort is Trelleborg’s answer to the need for a standardized way to collect and store data. It is a technology platform that connects port operations, allowing users to analyze asset performance and apply data insights, to improve day-to-day decision making.