The Antwerp Maritime Academy took a big step towards a brighter, smarter, more sustainable future in 2021 when Kongsberg Digital delivered the first CESNI-compliant training simulator to the Academy.
That delivery was a milestone in a long relationship between the Academy – one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious schools for training members of the merchant marine – and Kongsberg Digital. The Academy is one of a handful of learning centers able to train and certify inland waterway crews.
CESNI was established in 2015 to govern inland shipping in Europe. Two of CESNIs missions are the safety of navigation and the protection of the environment, which are in line with the value of both Kongsberg Digital and the Academy – to operate smarter, safer and greener.
CESNI standards for the approval of simulators came into effect in early 2022, but Kongsberg Digital had already started the job of bringing training standards at the Academy up to CESNI standards with new training simulators. By October 2021, Kongsberg Digital had delivered the first CESNI-compliant simulator. The simulator was delivered by Kongsberg Digital and certified compliant by DNS with 81 criteria set by CESNI for homologation being met by the Academy.
The new simulator technology has enabled The Antwerp Maritime Academy to operate in a manner that is fit for the future of work, with sustainability as a critical driving force.
“Before January 2022, practical examinations were typically done on a real vessel,” said Phillipe De Gauw of the Antwerp Maritime Academy. “Using the K-Sim for navigational examinations in combination with ship’s technique examinations on board is a way to avoid unnecessary CO2 emissions and eventual accidents or spillages.”
De Gauw also pointed out that the new simulators set a new, higher standard in certification. “All candidates and trainees can be trained or certified along the same reproducible lines without putting a real ship and real crews in jeopardy.”
The new simulator also puts the Academy on a more international path. CESNI requirements are designed for integration into other international and regional territories.
Kongsberg Digital’s simulation technology may also work as a strategic resource for the future of The Antwerp Maritime Academy and its expansion into new offerings.
The Academy's horizons are already expanding, thanks to the timely work of Kongsberg Digital.
