• 2021 March 6 15:08

    e5 Lab establishes Marindows Inc.

    Offering global maritime solutions through an IT revolution - ‘Marindows’ is the world’s 1st maritime OS

    e5 Lab.Inc. (President: Tomoaki Ichita; Headquarters: Tokyo) today announced the establishment of Marindows Inc. (President: Yasumasa Suetsugu; Headquarters: Tokyo) on  March 3 to bring the world’s most advanced information technology (IT) to Japan’s maritime industry. e5Lab is a joint venture of four companies: Asahi Tanker Co., Ltd., Exeno Yamamizu Corporation, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., and Mitsubishi Corporation that aims to develop electrically powered, zero-emission vessels.

    Issues Facing the Japanese Maritime Industry
    Looking at logistics in Japan - a maritime nation surrounded by the sea - marine transport accounts for 45% of Japan’s domestic cargo transport and 99% of overseas cargo transport. In recent years, the maritime industry, which serves as Japan’s lifeline, has faced extremely complex and difficult-to-solve social, environmental, and economic issues. These include a shortage of manpower due to a sharp decline in the working-age population, long working hours and dangerous work for crewmembers, global-scale environmental issues, and intense competition from overseas such as China and South Korea. The depressed Japanese maritime industry leads not only to problems in logistics, but also a decline in overall national strength, bringing various negative impacts on all types of land-based businesses. Considering this situation, Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has promoted legislation aimed at improving productivity and creating a more attractive work environment in the maritime industry and enhance the business foundation of the Maritime sector *1.

    On February 5, 2021, the Cabinet approved “a bill to partially revise the Marine Transportation Act to strengthen the foundation of the entire maritime industry, for example, by enhancement of competitiveness in the shipbuilding and ocean shipping fields, workstyle reforms for seafarers, and improvement of productivity in coastal shipping.

    As typified by Smart City, the digital transformation (DX) has been promoted beyond individual corporate frameworks by national and local governments. The nextgeneration services and systems inspired by DX create completely new values and businesses. On the other hand, the maritime industry, with a market scale exceeding ¥8.5 trillion, got behind of DX due to various hurdles such as difficulty in development of communication environment and  longstanding business practices. Under such circumstances, an ocean broadband (ocean BB) service, using a next-generation satellite, will start in 2022.

    Looking toward the coming of ocean BB communication, Marindows will develop a streamlined digital platform (ocean OS “Marindows”), which allows for evolution and expansion by drawing upon the power of the information and communication revolution (incorporating ocean BB communication/DX/AI). With the OS “Marindows” as the driving force, the company will address social, environmental, and economic issues facing the maritime industry. Marindows will create new value and markets in the Maritime industry along with partners of various leading companies having good business relationship with e5 Lab which is mother company of Marindows.

    From 4Q 2021: Start promotion activities for ocean BB communication, which will go into full-scale service in 2022

    • - 1-2Q 2022: Plan to release operational DX service for seafarers, shipowners, and shipping companies (Phase 1)
    • - In 2022: Expand the service in various domains from merchant ships to fishing boats and pleasure craft
    • - In 2022: Expand Marindows service to global market based on experiences and knowledges of the use of DX and data in Japanese maritime industry
    • - By end of 2023: Aim at 70% (abt. 5000 ships) in installation ratio of ocean OS “Marindows” on Japanese coastal ships

    The Ocean OS “Marindows” is easy-to-use on existing ships as well as newbuilding ships. In Phase 1, We will start developing services to improve operations for seafarers, shipowners, and shipping companies through the use of existing operation DX and data, in parallel with promotion of ocean BB communication. However, we don’t think these initiatives are enough to solve the serious issues facing the Maritime industry. Therefore, the ocean OS “Marindows” is constructed to become smarter and more convenient as time goes by and increase of user since this system will be kept updated and expanded continuously. The ocean OS “Marindows” will lead the Maritime industry towed a sustainable world from the sea and the land by connecting various system of both. It will start from Japan’s sea to the world.

    About e5Lab.Inc.
    e5 Lab offers added value to all stakeholders encompassing society, the earth, and the sea, by fostering an attractive, sustainable ocean shipping industry and creating new businesses and social infrastructure in the public interest by creating more electric-powered vehicles, advancing the digitalization of vessels, and passing on a bright future in ocean shipping to the next generation.


2024 March 29

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16:47 VTTI and IKAV enter agreement to purchase majority ownership of Adriatic LNG, Italy
16:25 Mitsubishi Shipbuilding receives order from the University of Tokyo for "MiPoLin" power prediction and lines selection system
15:41 Wan Hai Lines holds naming ceremony for 13,100TEU newbuilding “WAN HAI A15”
15:10 MOL announces restructuring measures
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14:25 Chevron’s first hybrid electric fueling barge arrives in Singapore
13:40 HD KSOE and Infineon sign MoU to develop ship electrification technology
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2024 March 28

18:05 Jan De Nul, ENGIE and Equans launch a pilot project centred around the use of Vanadium Redox Flow batteries
17:35 Latvian port equipment manufacturer Bleste introduces new bulk handling ‘bucket’
17:05 Investors upgrade Navios Maritime Partners
16:25 DEME reports 22% increase in the orderbook and a record-high turnover of 3.3 billion euros in 2023
16:14 MABUX: Bunker Outlook, Week 13, 2024
15:41 AD Ports Group announced the opening of Saadiyat Marina & Ferry Terminal and Rabdan Marina
15:11 Sydney invests $11.5 million in two new operational vessels designed by Incat Crowther
14:55 China’s Jinzhao wins Peru $405m port construction contract
14:13 APM Terminals Moín handled six million TEU
13:48 ClassNK grants Innovation Endorsements for Products & Solutions to two innovative initiatives by MOL
13:37 Konecranes launches its flagship Konecranes X-series industrial crane
12:53 United European Car Carriers UECC spearheads collaboration with industry leaders to advance CNSL as a sustainable marine fuel
12:26 Ocean Network Express announces Transpacific service
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10:42 Maersk transported more than 660,000 TEU using clean fuel in 2023
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2024 March 27

18:22 Bureau Veritas awards world’s first prototype certification for SolarDuck’s floating offshore solar solution
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17:38 The Port of Rotterdam calls on the European Commission and Parliament to focus on actively promoting green energy
15:23 SEFE to become sole shareholder of WIGA
14:53 Ocean Installer secures yet another SLM contract with Equinor
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12:52 The Port Authority of Valencia launches the ZAL project in the Port of Valencia
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11:42 Wan Hai Lines holds ship naming ceremony for new vessels
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10:49 Seaspan Shipyards receives long-term contracts for the pre-construction work of the the Canadian Coast Guard's first six multi-mission vessels
10:14 Woodside completes sale of 10% scarborough interest

2024 March 26

18:02 COSCO Shipping Lines introduces new Americas service
17:30 Davie awarded first contract for design of icebreaker fleet under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy
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16:57 Terntank places an order for 1+1 additional wind/ methanol-ready hybrid tanker
16:28 BW LNG completes acquisition of two TFDE vessels from Stena Bulk
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15:20 TotalEnergies and SINOPEC join forces to produce sustainable jet fuel at a SINOPEC's refinery
14:52 Wärtsilä Lifecycle Agreement to guarantee operational reliability of new wind farm installation vessel
14:23 Hudong-Zhonghua launches two LNG carriers
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12:21 IHI and Yara Clean Ammonia agree to jointly assess clean ammonia business collaboration
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11:16 Wartsila and Royal Caribbean Group celebrate 15 years of collaboration on digital transformation
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2024 March 25

18:07 The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore continues to investigate reports of oil spills off the port of Tuas
17:31 “K” Line, NIPPON HAKUYO and OPT Gate sign an agreement for a new fire detection system for car carriers
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16:25 U-Ming Singapore and ITOCHU sign milestone MoU for the joint development of ammonia dual-fuel and de-carbonized vessels
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