A new representative to sail out EIVA’s virtual buoys

A warm welcome to the newest member of the EIVA representative fleet: Vikingegaarden!

This Danish company will be selling our virtual buoy software solution for navigational aiding, NaviSuite Perio, as part of their web-based system solutions for ports. First step is including NaviSuite Perio in their inspirational days to be held throughout September in Denmark.

‘Vikingegaarden can now offer the Danish ports and waters a full suite of smart digitised solutions by including aids to navigation (AtoN) with NaviSuite Perio,’ explained Vikingegaarden CEO Ulrik Østergaard.

‘Being one of the most recent additions to our product portfolio, NaviSuite Perio shows great promise. Vikingegaarden is well-placed to promote NaviSuite Perio coming out onto the market, thanks to the company’s understanding of what ports need in a digital solution. We look forward to working together,’ said EIVA Marketing & Sales Director Anne Juul Andreasen.

Virtual buoys wading into new waters

The latest innovation in navigation aiding – replacing physical buoys with virtual buoys – can provide value for many, as virtual buoys have several benefits over physical buoys. For example, NaviSuite Perio’s virtual buoys…

• Do not get affected by winds or currents, and therefore do not suffer wear and tear
• Are more precisely positioned than physical buoys
• Can be moved without a big operation
• Are mapped on an easily updated seabed map in NaviSuite

‘These smart and cost-effective navigation aids save ports time and money by reducing the equipment and work needed for safe navigation-aiding,’ described Vikingegaarden CEO Ulrik Østergaard.

Where are the buoys now?

Virtual buoys are used in a number of areas, and they have the potential to be used for more. Examples of how they are currently applied include…

• Pointing out the deepest parts of a channel for navigating large vessels
• Marking out hazardous areas
• Alerting vessels of no-go areas to prevent collisions and damage to tow and lay cables

Great results in the past years at Odense Port

The use of virtual buoys is still a relatively new and innovative territory, which means that using NaviSuite Perio in Denmark requires special permission from the DMA (Danish Maritime Authority). So far, we have had positive experiences with it, and for use by Odense Port, the DMA has been convinced of the safety and the benefits of the virtual solution, as has DanPilot, who are responsible for the safety of all involved when guiding large vessels into Danish harbours.

NaviSuite Perio has been running for several years at Odense Port – the first port in Denmark to implement virtual buoys. Their experience speaks volumes about the benefits of NaviSuite Perio. Using virtual buoys quickly helped Odense Port reduce costs and increase safety – in fact, the investment paid for itself after only 3 months.

Next stop: Inspiring ports to digitise

Throughout September 2021, Vikingegaarden held inspiration days around Denmark. During these inspiration days, they presented a vision for how to fully digitise ports, showcasing some of the digital solutions ports can use to maximise their efficiency, such as NaviSuite Perio.

‘Together, EIVA and Vikingegaarden are bringing virtual buoys onto the Danish market,’ says Vikingegaarden CEO Ulrik Østergaard. We look forward to bringing this efficient and safe solution to more and more ports.