CITIS 2002 Awards Honor Innovators

Communications and IT companies in shipping were toasted at the CITIS 2002 Awards in London in March with top honors going to a daily electronic newspaper, an evacuation simulator, a collision avoidance trainer and a message management concept. In addition to innovation awards in four categories, International Maritime Organization secretary general William O’Neil received a lifetime achievement award for overseeing the introduction of the Global Maritime Distress & Safety System. The winners, selected by expert judges from a shortlist of three in each category, were announced at a gala dinner at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre during the sixth CITIS event, organized by Lloyd’s List Events. Hosted and sponsored by Inmarsat, the leading forum of its kind also featured a five-day conference, seminar and exhibition program. NewsLink Services won the Innovation in Ship’s Communication award for its multinational news service, which transmits 2000 newspapers daily to seafarers around the globe. Judges praised its contribution to improved crew communication both from ashore and onboard. The runners-up were RDT for its Tempus 2000 remote medical monitoring system and Telemedic Systems for its VitalLink 1200 vital signs monitor. Top prize for innovation in IT for ship operation went to BMT SeaTech’s maritimeExodus evacuation model software, a winner in last year’s British Computer Society IT awards. The runners-up were former CITIS winner ChartCo for its MetManager weather tracking and prediction system and the UK Hydrographic Office for its TotalTide tide prediction software. Videotel Marine clinched the award for innovation in ships’ electronic safety and navigation equipment with its CD ROM collision avoidance trainer. The system won praise for testing users over a wide range of scenarios and alternative solutions. BMT SeaTech’s Rembrandt ship manoeuvring simulator and Transas Marine’s Navi-Sailor 3000 navigation system were named as runners-up. The Inmarsat innovation award for effective use of Internet protocol went to Thenamaris Ship Management for its Thenamail (TMS) message management concept design. Judges noted that the company’s 50-strong fleet had been used as the model for a pioneering web-enabled system unifying shipboard and shoreside communications. The runners-up were RemoteReporting for its Fleetrack vessel tracking system and Rydex for its rmx2 email and data communication solution. Marking the growth of the CITIS Awards in their third year, the Inmarsat award was a new feature together with the lifetime achievement award presented to Mr O’Neil, which he received following a first-hand account of the value of GMDSS in saving life at sea from Falmouth coastguard officer Steve Huxley. Judges representing suppliers and users included Capt. Chris Cobley, CIRM secretary general; Nikos Mikelis, chairman of Intertanko’s safety, technical and environmental committee; Nautical Institute project manager David Patraiko; Alan Ward of the International Ship Managers’ Association; Ocean Voice managing editor Nigel Kitchen; and Inmarsat’s Chris Insall.