A partnership between Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University and global IT and business consulting firm CGI has secured UK Government funding to use digital twin and satellite technologies in the hope of reducing the environmental impact of the maritime industry. 

CGI’s MaritimeTwin initiative, developed alongside Maritime UK, and the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) at Heriot-Watt, aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by up to 15%, supporting the UK’s Clean Maritime Plan and net-zero goals.

The MaritimeTwin prototype will integrate real-time satellite data with digital twin tech to allow for optimised route planning, fuel consumption, and emissions monitoring to help support decarbonisation in the shipping industry.

CGI said that MaritimeTwin will provide shipping operators with a tool to simulate various scenarios, enabling data-driven decisions that balance operational efficiency with environmental impact. 

This will mean the incorporation of real-time environmental data, including weather patterns, ocean currents, and port conditions, with the system able to continuously learn and offer ever more precision through the use of machine-learning algorithms.

“The pace and complexity of pathways to decarbonisation for maritime transport demands rigorous and independent research,” said Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer, IDRIC’s Director at Heriot-Watt University.

“The MaritimeTwin consortium will enable rapid development and deployment of a transformative solution for the maritime industry through close collaboration and access to real-world testing to accelerate commercialisation.” 

Funded by the UK Government through the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions programme, MaritimeTwin forms part of CGI’s SEEDS (Sustainability Exploration and Environmental Data Science) initiative, created to harness technology, research, and innovations to ‘accelerate the transition to a sustainable future’. 

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According to CGI, the MartimeTwin venture will help to find innovative solutions to the maritime industry’s carbon footprint, with the sector accounting for almost 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

“This award enables the development of a demonstrator that leverages real-time data to deliver tangible impact across the maritime sector,” said Mattie Yeta, CGI UK’s chief sustainability officer.  

“This project addresses the urgent need for maritime decarbonisation but also strengthens the UK’s position as a leader in clean maritime technology, driving economic growth and creating high-skilled jobs in the sector.”