4. nov. 2026
As GASS enters its final phase, the project has completed the final iteration of the project’s Business Plan, bringing together three years of research, technology development, industry collaboration and commercial learning.
A core research contribution from GASS has been the development and evaluation of AI-enhanced Digital Twins and more traditional vessel-propulsion modelling approaches.
Working with different levels of available vessel data, the project has investigated how machine learning and other modelling approaches can predict vessel performance under varying operational and environmental conditions. These capabilities provide important foundations for applications such as weather routing and vessel-performance analysis.
This work reflects the close collaboration between Simula Research Laboratory’s research activities and the industry and technology partners working to connect project research with practical maritime applications.
One of the clearest conclusions is that innovation progresses towards the market at different speeds. Rather than producing several equally market-ready services, GASS has delivered results ranging from market-near technology and proofs of concept under validation, to enabling technologies that provide a foundation for further development. Let's look at the business cases.
Weather Routing Optimisation Services
Weather Routing Optimisation Services (WROS) represent the most market-near commercial opportunity emerging from GASS. By combining a digital twin of the main engine with new concepts (Generic Algorithms) for weather-optimisation models and enhanced weather data, GASS has developed the foundation for a novel weather-routing service supporting safer and more efficient voyages, as well as preparing for "Multi-objective routing” by e.g. taking into account other sources of safety information like “safe sailing areas, Protected areas, No-Go-areas, ice-influenced areas, etc. The next steps focus on completing validation and preparing the service for the market introduction, planned for 2027.
Onboard vessel performance monitoring and optimisation
GASS has explored how fuel, vessel and operational data can provide more useful onboard feedback. The project developed a pathway towards a common user interface and demonstrated a viable approach for standardising data from different vessel systems and suppliers.
Further development is needed to establish repeatable data access and to validate the onboard user experience.
Vessel performance analytics
GASS has also explored how new, data-driven vessel models can support shore-based performance analysis. A proof of concept demonstrated successful technical integration while identifying the further development and product decisions that would be required before a commercial service could be established.
Wireless connectivity and sensor capabilities
The project has also demonstrated opportunities around onboard wireless data acquisition.
ScanReach's onboard wireless connectivity was used together with high-frequency data from the Motion Response Unit (MRU) installed on board five GASS project vessels, generating experience with high-frequency sensor applications and vessels in the container segment.
The work opens opportunities for further wireless sensor applications, including understanding how vessel motions influence propulsion energy use and the potential continuation of work on parametric rolling.
Making vessel data more usable
Reliable data are fundamental to all these opportunities.
GASS has demonstrated a technically viable approach for standardising heterogeneous vessel data through a common ontology, tag registry and data-platform proof of concept. This work helps address the challenge of making data originating from different vessel systems understandable and usable for modelling and analytics.
At the same time, the project has highlighted that broader deployment of sensor-driven services depends on access to suitable onboard data and repeatable integrations across
relevant systems and suppliers.
More than new services
GASS has created value beyond the services developed within the project itself. A key example is the data foundation established through the collection, cleaning and processing of real-world vessel data. This foundation is now being reused in other research and innovation initiatives, including FUSE and AIMPERES, in agreement with data owners, allowing subsequent projects to build on processed operational data rather than starting from scratch. In this way, GASS contributes not only through its own technological and commercial results, but also by accelerating further research and development beyond the project.
GASS has also demonstrated how collaboration between researchers, technology providers and shipowners can create value beyond the project's main business cases.
In GASS, feedback and operational experience from project partners have also contributed to new insights and improvements to technologies, data foundations and existing maritime solutions. This illustrates an important part of collaborative innovation: value can emerge both through new services and by improving existing products and operational workflows.
From project results to next opportunities
The final Business Plan provides a clearer picture of where GASS results stand as the project approaches completion.
Some technologies are progressing towards commercial application. Others have demonstrated promising technical foundations or identified clearly defined areas for further development.
Together, the results provide a stronger basis for deciding what should move forward, where further validation is needed, and how the research and technology developed through GASS can continue creating value after the project, which we already see materialise through other project initiatives and new NAVTOR innovation supporting safe and sustainable shipping.
The remaining GASS activities will consolidate the project's results, validation evidence and exploitation experience as the three-year collaboration moves towards completion.