NorthLink Ferries roll-out is European first

Serco NorthLink Ferries says it has become the first European operator of its kind to introduce a “pioneering” digital platform that helps maritime operators manage their crews.

The new technology will directly benefit around 370 marine staff. Picture: Contributed

The Orkney-headquartered group has rolled out Ankaa Marine, a cloud-based portal and app for collecting, storing and processing seafarer information, providing real-time overviews and analytics of the crew pool.

NorthLink, which runs ferry services to the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland, has around 370 marine staff who, alongside the crewing department, will directly reap the rewards from the innovation.

Two of its freight vessels, Helliar and Hildasay, were instrumental in the product development and field testing of the platform, which is provided by Glasgow-based Ankaa.

Stuart Garrett, Serco MD for NorthLink Ferries, said: “This is a proven solution to something that affects every maritime operator and we’re proud to be in at the start of a transformation in crew management.”