- Maritime Accelerator found new partnerships between global maritime companies and growth-seeking startups
- In the finals global partners announced their own favourites: Vital Vio, Thermal Radar and Delta Cygni Labs
- The planning of the Maritime Accelerator programme for 2019 has already begun
Leading international maritime industry companies Royal Caribbean, Wärtsilä and Meyer Turku chose their favourites among new partners at the completion of Finland’s first maritime industry business accelerator programme. From among more than 500 international startups, the partner companies participating in the accelerator programme found new, innovative opportunities to promote their own competitiveness and the future of the industry on the whole.
Serving the maritime industry, the Maritime Accelerator programme started in the summer as the partner companies got to look into the 500 startups selected for them. The companies on the list were compiled by Avanto Ventures which contributed to the implementation of the programme as a partner of Turku Science Park Ltd.
Vital Vio, Thermal Radar and Delta Cygni Labs favourites
After three joint meetings held during the autumn, only the most potential startups remained. At the closing event arranged in the Helsinki Fair Centre on 4 December, the six most promising ones presented themselves. At the same time the partners announced their own favourites of the startups that made the programme final. The recognitions were granted to Vital Vio, Thermal Radar and Delta Cygni Labs.
Vital Vio was chosen by Royal Caribbean. The American health care startup’s business idea is to protect ship passengers through continuous disinfection LED technology that kills bacteria, mould and mildew. Wärtsilä’s favourite startup Thermal Imaging Radar provides a continuous 360 degree sensor for thermal monitoring of equipment.
Meyer Turku was impressed by the know-how of Delta Cygni Labs. The only company in the closing event with a Finnish background provides augmented reality solutions for industrial production processes. At the same time, Delta Cygni Labs is the first Finnish company participating in the European Space Agency ESA’s business accelerator programme. The company’s POINTR mobile application enables various servicing tasks via remote connection also in difficult places, such as in the middle of the ocean.
Main goal to accelerate co-operation
The awarded companies also got to give a pitch in the Breaking Waves conference arranged on the same day.
“It’s been great to watch innovative startups and large leading companies of the global maritime industry meeting and finding co-operation potential in each other. And increasing co-operation – especially the interdisciplinary kind – is our main task”, says Senior Advisor Jukka Laiterä from Turku Science Park Ltd.
“It’s not easy to see into the maritime industry from the outside. That’s why the ideas created outside it only occasionally end up to benefit the industry. More systematic use of external expertise is, however, a key factor for the future success of the maritime industry. That’s also at the core of the Maritime Accelerator programme”, Mr Laiterä continues.
The planning of the Maritime Accelerator programme for 2019 has already begun.
“We have started the planning with the partners, but there’s still room for a few new partners. The partner companies will be named by the end of April 2019. The themes specified on the basis thereof will guide the search for suitable startups”, says Program Manager Sofia Tuominen from Turku Science Park Ltd.