Van Oord Partners with Two Start-ups

Dutch dredging, marine and offshore services company Van Oord said it has signed partnership agreements with LexX and Heliorec, two start-ups scouted through the innovation platform PortXL. The signing ceremony took place during the shakedown event on December 2 marking the end of this year's PortXL program.

Van Oord is one of the founders of PortXL and a main sponsor of the PortXL program for the sixth year in a row. The port and maritime accelerator platform is one of the ways that Van Oord encourages innovation in the global maritime industry. This year, the company focused on two innovation themes: sustainability and digitalization.

The start-up Heliorec designs floating solar power plants. In collaboration with Van Oord, it will be investigating the use of floating solar to power an electric charging station, ultimately meant to charge Van Oord’s electrical unmanned survey vessels.

The Australian start-up LexX offers digital intelligence for optimized maintenance. Under its agreement with Van Oord, it will develop a tool for the survey department to provide better access to more relevant and up-to-date data and documentation for employees, boosting productivity and safety worldwide.

Polina Vasilenko, CEO and Founder at Heliorec, said, "Working with Van Oord gives us the chance to develop a new kind of technology: an electric charging station powered by floating solar. It’s a great opportunity to develop a new concept in collaboration with Van Oord’s world-class experts, implement that concept around the world and accelerate decarbonization in the maritime sector."

Jörg Liebe, Head of sales Europe at LexX, said, "The PortXL program allowed us to extend our reach from our original market in the airline and aviation industry to the maritime sector. It helped us to redefine our market approach and build our knowledge of that sector. In addition, the PortXL programme provided networking opportunities, access to and support from PortXL partner organizations in the maritime industry, research organisations, and the vibrant Rotterdam ecosystem.'

PortXL is a business-to-business maritime incubator that focuses on creating tangible business value for maritime start-ups that are serious about building their business. Van Oord offers intense guidance to help them get their ideas ready for the market.

"Besides knowledge-sharing and business opportunities, PortXL offers us innovative ideas that inspire us to support businesses outside our normal routine," siad Daan Baljet, Manager Research, Development and Innovation at Van Oord.