Press Release: One of the world’s largest shipping companies joins major initiative to improve cargo safety

Safetytech Accelerator recently launched a collaborative technology acceleration initiative with Evergreen Line, HMM, Lloyd’s Register, Maersk, the Offen Group, ONE and Seaspan as Anchor Partners to reduce cargo fires and losses overboard. COSCO SHIPPING Lines, the major Chinese carrier, is now also joining the initiative.

Some of the world’s biggest maritime cargo carriers recently joined forces with the world’s first industrial safety technology accelerator to launch a new innovation initiative to reduce cargo loss at sea.

COSCO SHIPPING Lines, one of the world’s largest shipping companies, has now joined the initiative, adding to the significant proportion of the world’s container cargo already involved in the open-innovation initiative.

The Safetytech Accelerator Cargo Fire & Loss Innovation Initiative (CFLII) is a collaborative technology acceleration program that will help tackle related challenges through shaping joint requirements, identifying technology solutions, undertaking carefully designed trials  and developing best practices and recommendations.

Rich McLoughlin, Head of Maritime Engagement at Safetytech Accelerator and CFLII Programme Director, had this to say about the announcement, “We’re delighted to have COSCO SHIPPING Lines join this important initiative. We believe cross-industry collaboration around innovation is an essential component to prevent large cargo fires and enhance the safety of seafarers and vessels. We hope this collaborative technology acceleration initiative will help industry make significant progress towards that goal.”

The Initiative has a broad scope encompassing three significant topics of concern. The first relates to onboard cargo control, including whether cargo has been properly loaded, secured and monitored during transit. The second area covers the ability to detect fire onboard and to stop its spread through effective onboard response, particularly on large container ships and car-carriers. The third relates to the challenges created by the increasing scale of vessels.

Shipping companies who would like to know more about the Initiative, and technology companies with experience or interest in addressing the topics of concern indicated above, are invited to contact us for further information, using the form below.

Read the launch press release here and read more about the initiative here.

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About COSCO SHIPPING Lines

COSCO SHIPPING Lines is headquartered in Shanghai. It has established domestic branches in 9 ports and 9 overseas branches. The Company and Oriental Overseas (International) Limited, a subsidiary of COSCO SHIPPING Holdings, own and operate 479 container vessels with a total capacity of 2.9 million TEUs. The Company’s fleet has calls at 579 ports located in 140 countries and regions worldwide. COSCO SHIPPING Lines strives to ensure the stable and smooth operation of the industrial and supply chain, actively build a global and digital container supply chain service system, and create greater value for global customers and upstream and downstream partners.

About Safetytech Accelerator

Safetytech Accelerator is a non-profit established by Lloyd’s Register. It is the first fully dedicated technology accelerator focused on safety and risk in industrial sectors, with a mission to make the world safer and more sustainable through wider adoption of technology.

About Lloyd’s Register

Trusted maritime advisors, partnering with clients to drive performance across the ocean economy.

Lloyd’s Register (LR) is a global professional services group specialising in marine engineering and technology. We were created more than 260 years ago as the world’s first marine classification society, to improve and set standards for the safety of ships.

Today, we are a leading provider of classification and compliance services to the marine and offshore industries, helping our clients design, construct and operate their assets to accepted levels of safety and environmental compliance.

For more information, contact;

Karen Verhoog / Head of Marketing / Safetytech Accelerator / karen.verhoog@lr.org

Nicola Good, External Communications Director / Lloyd’s Register / +44 (0) 7855 113 273 / nicola.good@lr.org