Storfjord in Sunnmøre region is officially established as a test area for autonomous ships, following the signing of an agreement between the Norwegian Maritime Authority, the Coastal Administration and GCE Blue Maritime.
This is the second area in Norway approved as a test area for remote control and autonomous ships- the first time was Trondheims fjords in 2016.
The goal is to facilitate the testing of new concepts and full scale programs related to autonomous vessels in Storfjord, in Sunnmøre, and adjacent fjords in Møre and Romsdal.
Storfjord is already used as a test area for newly built and converted ships, as it is close to several of Norway’s largest shipyards.
In addition, Storfjord has several relevant ferry crossings that may be suitable for testing and developing sensor technology and management systems that are necessary to develop greater degree of autonomy in ships.
In the area, there are also several fish farms, and the corresponding maritime transport that this business requires. Equally important is proximity to research and education institutions such as NTNU and Sintef.
For more information please see
https://www.safety4sea.com/norway-sets-new-test-area-for-autonomous-ships/