Danser Group will launch a customer, digitally connecting its inland charter freight fleet on its Rotterdam-Limburg container corridor for the first time.
Rotterdam-based inland shipping technology company Shipping Technology is launching ST Brain Lite – a compact, easy-to-install onboard intelligence module that provides real-time data connectivity to charter vessels. Inland shipping container operator Danser Group is the launch customer for the product, deploying the units via charter vessels on the Limburg Express container liner service.
Challenge: Data gap in charter fleets
Shipping Technology already connects approximately 380 inland vessels with the complete ST Brain platform. These range from tankers and container barges to river cruise ships (on which the company is trialling fully autonomous sailing). However, a large segment of the market remained out of reach: charter vessels.
In terms of digitalisation, charter vessels present a specific challenge: they are sometimes old vessels for which a complete digital installation is either technically complex or economically infeasible.
In addition, many operators rely on manual processes such as phone calls, WhatsApp messages, emails and spreadsheets to track vessel locations, cargo status, arrival times and fuel consumption. As such, the crews of these vessels are responsible for a significant administrative burden, manually relaying the information operators need for planning and reporting.
However, Danser Group has partially automated these processes. The company operates eight owned ships, and relies on an additional 70 chartered vessels to operate liner services. To manage this fleet efficiently, they are now taking this approach further by installing ST Brain Lite fleet-wide.
ST Brain Lite: Simple installation, instant viewing
ST Brain Lite is a small on-board computer that connects to the ship’s existing systems – GPS, Automatic Identification System (AIS), loading systems and, where possible, tank monitoring or container storage software – and transmits data in real time. Not only to a secure cloud dashboard but directly to the operators system as well. The unit does not require any complex integrations, and is designed to be installed by the crew themselves, with remote activation support from the Shipping Technology corporate office team.
Shipowners retain control over which parties have access to their ship data. Furthermore, shipowners whose vessels are equipped with ST Brain Lite by the operator can choose to subsequently invest in the full version of ST Brain or ST Sailing (which includes autonomous course assistance and collision detection solutions from Shipping Technology) to expand on the digital infrastructure already on board.
The data package captured by ST Brain Lite covers two basic areas:
1. Vessel position and planning data: location, speed and estimated time of arrival, enabling operators to accurately manage fleet movements.
2. Fuel consumption and emissions data: Supporting sustainability reporting and enabling ships calling in Rotterdam to qualify for a 5% port fee discount through the Green Award emission certification scheme.
Danser Group: Digitization of the Limburg Express container corridor
In the first phase, Danser Group will deploy ST Brain Lite via charter vessels operating the Limburg Express container line service, which runs from Rotterdam via the Maas River to Venlo and Born. This is the first time the entire inland shipping lane has been digitized at ship level, giving Danser Group operations and customer teams continuous, accurate data on every vessel in service – whether owned or chartered. The Danser Group fleet will be equipped with ST Brain Lite, one lane at a time as part of a phased rollout.
“At Danser Group, we are digitizing our office environment and operational processes step by step. Being able to digitally connect to the vessels we charter – not just our own fleet – is an important milestone,” says Ben Melissa, Danser Group CEO. “ST Brain Lite will play a crucial role in enriching our data; It combines quality and scalability. Once on board, we have the real-time insights we need to make better decisions, keep our customers better informed, and continue building toward a fully digital operation.”
A new model for fleet digitalisation
The launch of ST Brain Lite represents a strategic expansion of Shipping Technology’s mission to accelerate digital transformation across the inland shipping industry. To date, investments in onboard digitalization have been primarily driven by shipowners, and partly incentivized by insurance companies or financing institutions.
ST Brain Lite changes that dynamic. For the first time, logistics operators, who rely heavily on charter vessels, can drive digital transformation within the fleets they operate. This improves transparency, operational efficiency and supply chain integration across the inbound shipping ecosystem.
The Danser Group has strategically chosen to become the first inland shipping operator to effectively drive digitalization on board ships by covering the investment costs of shipowners – a long-standing desire within the sector which is now becoming a reality. This shows that it is possible to create a more efficient, data-driven indoor charging network.
Donald Pan, COO of Charging Technology, comments on the launch of ST Brain Lite:
“Since 2018, we have been connecting inland ships and today data flows from nearly 380 ships across Europe. However, a large part of the inland fleet still operates largely analogue. With ST Brain Lite, we are removing the barriers to digitalization and making connected shipping accessible to every ship. This applies not only to crews and ship owners, but also to operators and charter parties seeking greater transparency and efficiency throughout the supply chain.”
“Inbound shipping has a huge opportunity to strengthen its competitive position through smarter data exchange and digital collaboration. ST Brain Lite is designed to accelerate exactly this transformation: easy to deploy, practical to use, and immediately valuable. We are proud to launch this with the Danser Group team and look forward to scaling the impact together.”
Source: Charging Technology
