Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat business, has donated a bridge simulator – a system of hardware and screens which allows students to familiarize themselves with realistic weather, traffic, and ocean conditions – to Warsash Maritime School, part of Solent University in Southampton, United Kingdom.
The simulator, which was previously located at Inmarsat’s former headquarters on City Road, London, will allow students to rehearse their responses to distress situations in a realistic but safe and controlled environment. It is capable of displaying Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) operations, which Inmarsat Maritime provides for life saving emergency services across the world. The company no longer requires the simulator following its move to a new state of the art facility in London, earlier this year.
Tasked with navigating a ship out of a potentially life-threatening situation, students can learn not only how to operate a vessel in distress but how to take charge in a challenging, high-pressure scenario. This helps to ensure students are technically and mentally prepared for practical maritime situations.
Kunal Anand, Director, Warsash Maritime School, says: “As an industry standard GMDSS bridge, Inmarsat Maritime’s incredibly generous donation is a welcome addition to our maritime simulation centre. Giving students a teaching experience that brings them as close to the real world as possible is our top priority, and thanks to Inmarsat, our offer continues to grow.
“We will use this bridge simulator as part of our GMDSS course, which will allow students to gain first-hand knowledge of how to interact with GMDSS equipment in the context of a ship’s bridge and build their confidence in effective distress and radio communications at sea. Inmarsat’s donation will hugely benefit our learning community, and we are grateful to them for underpinning our future-ready ethos.”
Following the donation, the Inmarsat Maritime Safety Team is working with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to include the simulator in the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS), which would make it the first UK-based GMDSS simulator registered with the GISIS.
John Dodd, Director of Safety Services, Inmarsat Maritime, says: “This donation reflects our commitment to promoting maritime safety at every level – not only through our work with the GMDSS and our safety-focused connectivity services, but also through seafarer education and training. We believe that the simulator will provide students with invaluable knowledge that will ultimately save lives at sea, and we hope that everyone at Warsash Maritime School can benefit from this donation for many years to come.”
In October 2023, the Inmarsat Maritime Safety Team won the International Maritime Rescue Federation Award for Innovation and Technology in Maritime Search and Rescue. The award acknowledged the team’s efforts to ensure – through technology, training, and expert support – that global satellite search-and-rescue capabilities are maintained to a level beyond what is expected by the IMO.
