From 27 June 2017 till 29 June 2017 four representatives from Liepaja Marine College (LMC) and three from Lithuanian Maritime Academy (LMA) visited Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, for a 3-day experience exchange in the field of joint simulation network.

Chalmers University of Technology together with Swedish Maritime Administration are the leaders of three projects: MonaLisa, MonaLisa 2.0. and the presently running STM Validation project, under which together with other more than 50 partners from 13 countries they have established the European Maritime Simulator Network (EMSN).

During the 3-day visit, LMC and LMA personnel attended a detailed presentation of the three projects by Reto Veber, the Full Mission Bridge Simulator Lecturer of ship handling and manoeuvring at Chalmers University of Technology, as well as the main leader of MonaLisa and STM Validation project (joint simulations), and by Fredrik Karlsson, Innovation Coordinator of the Swedish Maritime Administration.

The aim of the visit was to gain better understanding and update information on future technologies of the maritime industry, as well as the ones planned within the project LatLitNaviPort – also perspectives of joint simulations and the technical requirements and characteristics for simulators of the Navigation, Manoeuvring and Engine control Laboratory, aimed for carrying out for joint simulation activities with other institutions.

Intensive information exchange and content-full debates took place expanding the perspective in relation to joint simulation network and it usefulness for the future of maritime industry. MonaLisa project and STM Validation project consist of several directions: for maritime professional’s education – Joint simulation network, and for real life use – shipping and delivery system optimization.

The Joint simulation network provides better training for students by allowing several educational institutions to organize joint simulation activities where one educational institution’s students in one country can interact with another institution’s students in other country according to a scenario planned and agreed by the instructor. This provides the closest to reality trainings ever possible.

Another STM Validation project activity is for shipping and delivery operations, voyage optimization and traffic coordination –  route sharing among ships during voyage, including automatic alarm system, and data sharing with on-shore facilities, port call synchronization services – all necessary information joint in one data sharing system covered by maritime iCloude system.

Liepaja Marine College has been the main organizer of this activity. It was a great opportunity for obtaining information about the already existing joint simulation solutions, for taking a look at several new simulators and to visit such a modern institution as Chalmers University of Technology. Also a much better understanding of the latest tendencies in the education of maritime professionals and future concepts of the maritime industry was gained.  The acquired knowledge will be applied to ensure an up-to-date educational process in both participated institutions, as well as to enrich the project with technological and organisational know-how, that needed to achieve all the results expected from the project LatLitNaviPort.