We are STM – Cajsa Jersler Fransson, Master Mariner, SMA

Interview                                                         

Sea Traffic Management, STM, is a concept, developed by the Swedish Maritime Administration in the MONALISA projects, endorsed by the European Commission, which defines a set of systems and procedures to guide and monitor sea traffic in a manner similar to air traffic management.

To validate the STM concept, to see if it is possible to digitally exchange information between all stakeholders involved, and thereby create added value to the transportation chain, a project that is running for 4 years, the STM Validation Project is now half way through. This summer, the validation project goes from preparations to testing, from ideas to reality.

It’s like a gigantic jigsaw puzzle of pieces that has been put together, with the goal to gain information from all stakeholders involved, share said information among them and thereby give them the possibility to become more efficient. Now comes the time when all great ideas and challenging work will be put to test, in so called test-beds. Voyage Management, Flow Management and Port Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) will be tested and validated in practice.

Throughout the journey, many people have experienced epiphanies, others have gotten insights into things they never thought possible. New relationships have been formed and many has shared so much of their knowledge, for other people to build on, now they are all approaching the turning point when all the innovative thoughts will be tested.

Installations on 300 ships are starting in August, the largest maritime simulator network ever is connected, 29 bridges in 10 simulations centres around Europe, and everything is gearing up to take off, early next year.

Speaking to one of the real enthusiasts at the heart of things, Cajsa Jersler Fransson, Swedish Maritime Administration on why she is so passionate about getting everyone onboard, she explains: “Anyone of the big IT companies could easily have built this in a jiffy. However, since we are using open source, which belongs to no one, and the solution is built within the maritime community, it will make such an impact once we finish. I want everyone to understand that this is for real and that we are really making a difference here”.

But what is it all about Cajsa?

“It’s about information sharing to create more safe, efficient and environmentally friendly sea voyages. What I love about this is that I as a mariner am taking part in a new paradigm. I can see where it is taking us and that so many people are working together to make it happen makes me both humble and inspired”.

What is your responsibility as a Sub-project Manager?

“I do a lot of different things, for instance I co-ordinate all the companies contributing with navigational services into the project and I work with the IT architects to communicate their work, which is a completely new world to me, but my favourite task is working together with the Valencia Port Foundation. That is where they manage the analysis and dissemination of the project. Right now, we are looking at how to collect data from the testbeds to see if our hypothesis is true. I am constantly learning a lot of new things and I have met many nice people doing some awesome work, whom I now consider to be my friends”.

Cajsa Jersler Fransson is an enabler in the STM Validation project. It’s obvious that she is really looking forward to the next step, the testing, but she stops to underline the victory of having the first shore centre connected to ship systems, which would not have been possible without standards for route exchange and communication protocols: “It has taken so much vigorous work and even if it might look like something relatively simple, it is a huge step forward and we are all excited by this success“.

“Personally, now I look forward to going onboard the ships once they get connected and listen to the opinions of the crew, I want to hear what they think. Since I am based in Gothenburg and many ships call on Gothenburg, where one of the shore centres will be located, I am going to be in the centre of events and that is what I enjoy”

Cajsa Jersler Fransson will be attending the STM Midterm Conference in Venice, September 12-13th, why don’t you join us to see for yourself what it is all about? Register here!

Seeing is believing. #300ships