TNO, Imtech to Partner on Research and Development
TNO and Imtech Marine have signed an agreement expressing intent to work together on research and development projects. The signing took place on January 21 at Imtech Marine in Rotterdam.
TNO and Imtech have joined forces many times over the years and see possibilities to further strengthen each other and in doing so deliver added value to the market and society, said the contract signatories, Henk Geveke, General Director of Defence & Security on behalf of TNO, and André Meijer, Managing Director on behalf of Imtech Marine.
“As well as applied research and concept development, TNO offers an important contribution to innovation in the maritime industry,” Geveke said.
“These developed concepts need to be converted into products and solutions for the Dutch Royal Navy,” Meijer added. “Imtech also has knowledge of applied technology on board and understands the needs of maritime companies. Cooperation will ensure that innovative products appear on the market more quickly. What’s more, the joint approach strengthens TNO’s knowledge build-up enabling it to apply project results for new technological developments.”
This cooperation also contributes to providing solutions to societal issues including sustainability, such as ships sailing with less crew as well as the use of innovative solutions on board to reduce energy consumption. “Energy-saving solutions have been commonplace in the car industry for some years, but are in the first stages in the shipbuilding industry. We are aiming to change this,” Meijer said.
The cooperation means that vessels for customers such as the Dutch Royal Navy and also for the yacht-building and cargo industries or oil and gas markets will continue to have access to modern and high-quality technological systems in the future, and they can also make use of innovative solutions in the management of their vessels, the companies explained.