South Shields Marine School sees new tech upgrade worth £300,000

The South Tyneside maritime training centre has bolstered its high-tech bridge simulators – used by would-be seafarers to learn to steer ships from the safety of dry land - by installing a new cutting edge software package.

Bosses at the training centre have invested in Norwegian shipping technology firm Kongsberg’s latest K-Sim simulator software, which allows for enhanced training scenarios.

The technology forms part of a package of investment which aims to maintain the near-160-year-old marine school’s reputation for excellence.

The marine school has also invested in significant hardware improvements - such as new screens for better visuals, and updated consoles and controls cabling.

And, it says, further improvements to the training centre – expected to take place in the summer – are in the pipeline.

These include its specialist VTS software, used to operate its high capability VTS simulators, also being made K-Sim compliant.

Technical and Projects Manager Paul Hodgson, who led the upgrade, spoke of the effort that went into the upgrade project, saying it had been all hands to the pumps to get the work done amid coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions.

“Installing the software and hardware upgrades has been challenging but also vital to delivering the high-quality instruction for which we are known,” he said.

“K-Sim has given us better and more realistic scenarios, and lots of new tools are available, meaning we can deliver an improved learning experience for seafarers training with us.

“The software is a lot more capable, dynamic and sophisticated. I’m looking forward to it providing the bedrock of our enhanced simulation provision for years to come.”

The upgrade also means the marine school’s award-winning digital modelling team can provide a new support package to clients.

The team is unique in the UK in producing market-leading scaled computer-generated modelling of ports and other seascapes.

These allow naval architects, civil engineers and shipping companies to test their design plans for ports and vessels before they leave the drawing board, minimising the potential for costly real world mistakes.

Their work led the marine school to be awarded the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2019.

Support your Gazette and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.