SeaBot Maritime has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Iceland-based maritime technology innovator Hefring Marine.
This strategic partnership aims to integrate Hefring’s Intelligent Marine Assistance System into advanced training programs for high-speed uncrewed surface vessel operations.
The agreement reflects both companies’ shared commitment to bridging the skills gap in a maritime industry increasingly shaped by automation and artificial intelligence. While SeaBot Maritime has previously led efforts in navigation system integration, this new collaboration marks a shift toward a new frontier in vessel operations: intelligent speed and throttle control.
High-speed USVs are subject to rapidly changing maritime conditions, including wave impact, wind shear, and hydrodynamic forces.
Hefring Marine’s IMAS addresses this challenge through AI-powered real-time data processing, enabling micro-adjustments to speed and throttle that optimize safety, stability, and performance, even in complex and volatile environments.
Gordon Meadow, CEO of SeaBot Maritime, emphasized the significance of the partnership, stating that operators must now become AI collaborators, capable of understanding and overseeing decision-support systems like IMAS.
The training programs developed under this partnership will provide experienced maritime professionals with a competency framework tailored to intelligent systems.
Trainees will learn how to interpret IMAS system logic, maintain operational oversight, and respond effectively to edge-case scenarios. SeaBot Maritime’s training recognized by the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency will ensure a pipeline of certified professionals prepared to operate safely at the intersection of autonomy, speed, and human oversight.
Karl Birgir Björnsson, CEO of Hefring Marine, noted that by combining SeaBot Maritime’s training expertise with the IMAS technology, there will be a robust framework for safely mastering the next generation of unmanned systems.
Under the terms of the MoU, Hefring Marine will provide access to its IMAS platform, support technical integration with simulation environments, and contribute to training design. SeaBot Maritime will lead the creation and delivery of training content, with the added capability to provide OEM-aligned operational training to Hefring clients.
