ShipRec: Expert platform for sustainable ship recycling

The ZIM ShipRec innovation network was launched with the aim of promoting innovations and technologies for sustainable ship recycling. The 13 project partners currently involved – including Maritime Cluster Northern Germany (MCN) – have set themselves the goal of identifying innovative approaches and technologies in the ship recycling sector. At the same time, they seek to encourage dialogue between relevant stakeholders along the entire value chain.
The network addresses a current problem in the ship-breaking industry, where decommissioned ships are often dismantled under inadequate conditions by low-wage workers, resulting in unacceptable, dangerous working conditions and environmental pollution.
ShipRec aims to combat this state of affairs by developing technological solutions. The focus is on efficient and safe ship dismantling with digital twins in process planning, sensor-guided execution and handling, and comprehensive documentation of all work steps. The goal is to facilitate a full recycling process for large maritime structures.
“The ShipRec network provides a central platform for the maritime community to drive forward specific projects to promote a more sustainable ship recycling industry. These include solutions to approval challenges as well as innovative technology approaches,” says Andreas Born, MCN branch manager in Bremen. MCN has been supporting ship recycling activities for some time and will be available to the network in an advisory capacity.
Businesses wishing to join the network will have the opportunity to expand their market segments and tap into new economic sectors. ShipRec contributes to the development of scalable and transferable processes for dismantling large maritime structures in order to promote sustainability and the optimum use of existing resources.
“The aim of the ZIM ShipRec network is to develop innovative technologies and business models that enable ship recycling to be carried out competitively in northern Germany and keep valuable raw materials in the local economic cycle,” explains Henning Edlerherr, project manager at MCN in Lower Saxony.
The current 13 ShipRec network partners are leading enterprises and research organisations in the maritime sector, including:
- Ambra GmbH
- Arthur Technologies GmbH
- BIBA – Bremer Institut für Produktion und Logistik GmbH
- GSR Services GmbH (associate partner)
- D5 Software GmbH
- HB-Hunte Engineering GmbH
- Hitzler Werft GmbH
- Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung (ZMT) GmbH
- Leviathan GmbH
- Liberty Pier Maritime Projects GmbH & Co. KG
- Maritimes Cluster Norddeutschland e. V. (associate partner)
- Turbo-Technik GmbH & Co. KG
- Zeasy UG (limited liability)
The network is managed by EurA AG. ShipRec is funded under the Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM) set up by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).
Kontakt
Henning Edlerherr, Project Manager Maritimes Cluster Norddeutschland e. V., Lower Saxony office
+49 4404 98786-14, henning.edlerherr@maritimes-cluster.de