ST Engineering and Wilhelmsen Ships Service to Collaborate on Developing Unmanned Aerial Operations for Shore-to-Ship Parcel Deliveries

Singapore, 10 February 2020 – ST Engineering and Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) will be collaborating to develop and test solutions to enable Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) operations for shore-to-ship parcel deliveries in Singapore.

As part of this collaboration, ST Engineering will provide a suite of flight tests and technology development services for system integration and solution prototyping. Key enabling technologies to be developed include precision landing on-board ship vessel’s metallic platform, non line-of-sight datalink and parcel delivery authentication and release system. At the same time, WSS will help to strengthen the commercialisation and operational aspects of the solution development. This collaboration will receive funding as part of the Call-For-Proposal by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the Singapore Ministry of Transport, which aims to support the development of systems and technologies to enable innovations within the wide-ranging use of UAS.

One of the leading participants in the UAS industry, ST Engineering has been developing in close collaboration with regulators and industry partners, solutions that make use of the latest smart and unmanned technologies for military and commercial applications. The Group signed an MOU with CAAS in early 2018 to facilitate the development of BVLOS UAS operations in Singapore’s urban environment, including within and near an aerodrome. In January 2019,
ST Engineering’s DroNet, an end-to-end solution that applies advanced unmanned technologies such as drones through a network system to carry out specific tasks or services, was granted the very first BVLOS permit for trial operations in Singapore.

Mr Lim Serh Ghee, President of ST Engineering’s Aerospace sector said, “Drone technology holds huge potential in spurring innovative changes to the ways we operate and perform manual tasks. Our latest collaboration with WSS is an exciting development for us as we explore the various use cases for our DroNet solution to solve real-world problems and help organisations enhance their operational efficiency. Judging from the successful trial BVLOS operations that we have conducted, we believe it is only a matter of time before UAS shore-to-ship delivery solution becomes a reality.”

Marius Johansen, VP Commercial, Ships Agency, Wilhelmsen said, “In partnership with our forward-thinking customers, we have led the way in exploring the practical applications of UAS for the maritime industry. This shore-to-ship delivery solution will show the potential of UAS services in cutting costs and improving safety. We are thrilled to be able to use that experience, and our in-depth port logistics expertise to support ST Engineering in the development of UAS for Singapore’s maritime cluster.” 

ST Engineering is showcasing its UAS solutions together with other aerospace capabilities at the Aviation cluster of the ST Engineering Pavilion (G01) from 11 – 16 February at Singapore Airshow 2020.

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About ST Engineering

ST Engineering is a global technology, defence and engineering group specialising in the aerospace, electronics, land systems and marine sectors. The Group employs about 22,000 people across offices in Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East, serving customers in the defence, government and commercial segments in more than 100 countries. With more than 700 smart city projects across 130 cities in its track record, the Group continues to help transform cities through its suite of Smart Mobility, Smart Security and Smart Environment solutions. Headquartered in Singapore, ST Engineering reported revenue of $6.7b in FY2018 and it ranks among the largest companies listed on the Singapore Exchange. It is a component stock of the FTSE Straits Times Index, MSCI Singapore, SGX ESG Transparency Index and SGX ESG Leaders Index.

The Aerospace sector provides integrated aerospace services and solutions through a global network of facilities and affiliates in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe, supporting a broad customer base that comprises leading airlines, airfreight operators and armed forces. Its wide spectrum of maintenance and engineering solutions include airframe, engine and component maintenance, repair and overhaul; engineering design and technical services; as well as aviation materials and asset management services. The sector also has original equipment manufacturing capabilities and holds proprietary designs in products such as aircraft seats. For more information, please visit www.stengg.com.

About Wilhelmsen Ships Service

With the largest ships agency network in the world, Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) provides full agency, husbandry and protective agency services in 2,200 ports worldwide. 

Matching at the berth, local knowledge and expertise, with WSS’ strict operational and safety standards, whether it is vessels, crew, cargo, or disbursement funds, there a reason why WSS is the commodity industry’s trusted partner in port. Developing new and innovative ways to deliver our agency competence, shaping just what agency can and should deliver, WSS takes competence, sustainability, safety, and unparalleled customer experiences one step further. WSS is part of the Wilhelmsen group. For more information, see: wilhelmsen.com.

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