Q and A with Navidium CEO Simen

Q and A with Navidium's CEO Simen

In my last blog about our partnership with Navidium I introduced them and spoke about why we think they offer a fantastic solution to Shipnet’s customer base. Today we’ve switched things around and asked Navidium CEO Simen to answer a few questions.

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One of the best parts of my job is getting to meet and work with teams from exciting new businesses that work in highly specialised areas.

In working with those teams, I often end up asking the same sorts of questions about the tech, their business and their own personal journey. Shipnet is – almost above all else - a people business, and I often find that the insights from colleagues in these partner businesses tell me most about the partnership we are entering into.

To spread the word about our most recently announced partnership, I thought that I’d give Simen, CEO at Navidium, the chance to answer some of my questions in public.

What is the best thing about Navidium’s product/platform?

There are two aspects of our software that, together, make our offering unique.

First, Navidium is based on an open data architecture. This means that, at the core of our software, we have an open api catalogue so that we can connect immediately and seamlessly with most data providers, hardware and software. Because of our open data approach, we can ingest and process data essentially FROM any source, from telemetry to noon reports, and FOR anyone, managers, owners, operators, and all other stakeholders involved. So, as you install any of our products you just wave goodbye to data silos and vendor-imposed constraints. And the open data architecture is always free. You get it automatically with all our products and it just makes your life so much easier.

Secondly, our mature SaaS approach. Let me be clear: when I mention SaaS I refer to more than subscription-based software. To us, SaaS also means focusing on our relationship with customers, developing for them the most scalable and fully interoperable solutions on the market, but also allowing them to keep using older systems they’ve already invested in. It means keeping the software always up-to-date and secure, incorporating the feedback we receive into new releases.

How will it help Shipnet users manage their carbon emissions?

There are several ways in which our open data architecture, SaaS approach, and interoperable software can help manage carbon emissions.

First, with regard to maritime operations, our first product was Voyage Optimization, to create, edit, import, and export routes. This product alone, with its quite sophisticated algorithms, can lead to significant savings by reducing fuel consumption and, therefore, CO2 emissions.

So, increasing operational efficiency is the first way. But we are also developing a solution to automatically reporton emissions in accordance with all the main schemes currently in force, from the EU MRV to CII, EEXI, DCS, and more The idea is to develop a solution that simplifies the complex current situation and not least the unknown future regulations. The idea is to make it simple for owners to market their assets by making transparent and verifiable claims regarding their emission rating.

How would one of my Shipnet users also use Navidium as part of their day-to-day work?

This question takes us to the main reason behind our partnership: accelerating the digitalisation of the industry.

So, ShipnetONE users can already benefit from the best ERP software for the maritime industry, providing a suite of commercial, technical, financial, and safety management tools.

What Navidium brings to your customers is a direct and - whenever possible - automated connection with any data source, and a super-scalable software that can be deployed on any number of vessels in a matter of minutes and stays secure and up-to-date.

If we take the example of CII rating, a ShipnetONE user would undoubtedly benefit from having an accurate, secure, transparent, and modern tool to calculate their current rating, predict how each vessel will perform and market them appropriately. All this based on data automatically gathered at the source.  

What does the combined Shipnet + Navidium product give me in terms of strategic advantage?

We know that the digitalisation of the maritime industry is progressing slowly and somewhat erratically, with some companies being at the absolute forefront of innovation while others are still struggling to find flexible, smart, and easy-to-scale solutions. The pressure from markets and regulators to make full use of the data produced in the industry to increase efficiency, ensure safety, and embrace transparency, however, is growing. And traditional stakeholders in the industry, such as bankers and insurance companies, are increasingly concerned with open and transparent access to data.

Open, interoperable, secure, and flexible software is the solution to all these challenges. What gets me excited about our partnership is that the strategic advantage we deliver is both immediate and projected in the future. Thanks to the mature SaaS approach we’ve built, our offering will grow and quickly adapt to the needs of our customers and of all maritime stakeholders.

What does Simen wish he’d known before he entered shipping as a CEO?

This industry is incredibly complex and truly global. Inevitably, it takes some time to learn the ins and outs and to understand the real needs of the professionals responsible for transporting 90% of all the goods we consume. So, I can’t put my finger on one specific aspect I wish I’d known.

In a way, however, I feel we have the privilege of knowing that we need to act today, to mitigate the impact of human activities on the planet, and to create a more sustainable world for future generations. Shipping and logistics are such an important part of this effort. The vision I brought to Navidium when I joined in 2021 was to accelerate the digitalisation of these industries by breaking the bad habits I’d identified: data silos, no standardisation, lack of transparency, and lack of mature operational software. I’m sure that through our partnership we’ll tackle all these challenges and more.

Thank you Simen for taking the time to answer those questions. Here at Shipnet we are thrilled about the partnership we've forged with Navidium and the innovative solutions that provide a strategic advantage that is not just immediate but also poised to meet the future demands of an industry in transition.

Discover how the combined forces of Shipnet and Navidium can propel your business toward greater efficiency, transparency, and sustainability.

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John Wills
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