NAVTOR CEO Tor Svanes on building a Global Smart Shipping Leader — And What’s Next

Article from CyprusShippingNews.com:

Interview with Tor Svanes, CEO, NAVTOR

NAVTOR has been a key player in digital navigation and smart shipping solutions. How would you describe the company’s mission today, and how has it evolved in recent years?

Our mission has always been simple: to make life easier for shipping companies.

Since day one, we’ve focused on our customers and the navigators – starting with ENC distribution and growing into a global provider of smart digital solutions. Today, NAVTOR offers an integrated ecosystem that connects ship and shore, covering everything from performance monitoring and optimisation through to digital logbooks, e-Navigation and SDK/OEM innovations.

We aim to lead the way in maritime for safe, efficient, and sustainable operations, continuously pushing the boundaries of smart shipping to unlock added value for all our stakeholders. While we’ve grown into a world leader, we’re still driven by the same ambition, passion and commitment to continual improvement.

Our vision remains constant: to lead the way in smart shipping innovation.

NAVTOR continues to expand globally. What have been the most significant milestones or strategic moves in your recent growth story?

A major milestone was the acquisition of Voyager Worldwide, which made us the undisputed global leader in ENC services, e-Navigation and maritime technology. It really supercharged our global footprint, ability to impact upon the industry, and overall customer offering.

We’ve also strengthened our presence in key maritime hubs. Establishing NAVTOR Hellas was a strategic step to deepen our engagement in Greece, while we’ve also grown our teams in Japan and Singapore, alongside strong organic growth in our existing bases. Together these developments demonstrate our on-going commitment to serving customers locally, wherever they are in the world.

NAVTOR is seen as a pioneer in maritime digitalisation. How are you helping shipowners and operators transition to fully digital workflows?

By fully integrating solutions! It’s not just about technology – it’s about making it easy to adopt. Tools like NavBox automate updates and data transfers, while NavStation seamlessly gathers critical and navigational information onboard. Digital Logbooks make log keeping simple and hugely valuable, and NavFleet puts shipping companies in full control of their scattered global fleets. And, of course, all of these solutions are united by the same, secure digital ecosystem.

It all goes back to our mission of making life easier for our customers.

Could you share a bit about NAVTOR’s integrated platform and how it’s transforming fleet operations from bridge to shore?

Our platform is built to seamlessly connect ships and shore-based teams in real time, offering a unified, up to the minute view of operations. Through automatic and secure data transfers, we provide one source of truth that supports everything from safer navigation and simplified compliance to performance and emissions tracking.

Shore-based teams can monitor vessel activity in real-time and take proactive decisions using actionable data, while crews get critical data ‘at their fingertips’. Whether it’s updating individual passage plans or managing fleet-wide compliance, our system enables transparency and situational awareness when and where it’s needed.

What role does artificial intelligence or machine learning play in NAVTOR’s current and future solutions?

AI and machine learning are central to how we see the future of a more sustainable, profitable maritime industry.

Take the GASS Project for example – it’s focused on using AI technology, combined with digital twinning, to cut vessel emissions by as much as 20%. If that could be rolled out across all the vessels we serve (over 18,000) the global impact would be immense.

These technologies aren’t just futuristic concepts – they’re already helping shipowners reduce fuel use, cut emissions, and improve safety.

Sustainability is now at the top of the agenda for shipowners. How is NAVTOR supporting clients in meeting decarbonisation targets, including CII and EEXI compliance?

With NavFleet, we provide tools that help shipping companies monitor performance and emissions in real-time. That means they can track CII ratings, identify inefficiencies, and take immediate action to improve compliance with regulations such as EEXI.

We give shipowners the situational awareness they need to make performance-driven decisions – helping them not just comply, but operate more efficiently, sustainably and profitably.

Are you seeing increased demand for voyage optimisation and emissions tracking tools? Can you speak to how NAVTOR’s solutions help reduce fuel consumption and carbon output?

Yes, definitely. Regulations are becoming stricter and more complex, and that’s driving demand for smarter tools. With our performance suite, we enable real-time monitoring and optimisation – reducing fuel consumption and cutting carbon emissions.

It all comes back to situational awareness: when you can see what’s happening across your fleet, you can act quickly, effectively, and intelligently.

Maritime regulations are evolving rapidly. How does NAVTOR ensure its clients stay ahead of compliance issues—whether related to navigation, emissions, or safety?

We see ourselves as more than a supplier – we’re a trusted partner.

Our team of industry experts constantly track regulatory developments – and often actively participate in building understanding and acceptance (such as with the new S-100 data standard) – working closely with customers to make compliance easy. We take deep dives into the latest steps and tailor innovative digital solutions to help shipping companies navigate the changing landscape with ease.

We’re proud to retain a position at the very vanguard of developments, continually using expertise to take complexity out of compliance. This leaves our customers to focus on what’s really important in their day-to-day businesses – operating safely and efficiently.

As ships become more digitally connected, cybersecurity becomes a growing concern. What steps is NAVTOR taking to secure digital infrastructure onboard and ashore?

Cybersecurity is always front of mind at NAVTOR – we stay vigilant, ensuring peace of mind for customers worldwide.

Our NavBox, which is type-approved and cyber-secure, is a cornerstone of our approach, ensuring tamper-proof data transfers between ship and shore. This provides a secure digital infrastructure that protects all critical data.

Have you seen increased awareness or investment from clients in maritime cyber risk management?

Absolutely. As connectivity increases, so does the risk – and shipowners are becoming more aware of the need for robust protection. NAVTOR, again, is a trusted partner here, offering secure solutions that help clients manage evolving risks with confidence.

From a leadership perspective, what has been your biggest challenge and your proudest achievement as CEO of NAVTOR?

I’d say my proudest achievement is taking NAVTOR from a standing start in 2011 to the position of the world’s number one ENC distributor and leading smart shipping technology partner. As highlighted, we now have products and services on over 18,000 vessels, roughly a third of the global fleet in our market.

We’ve grown into a global company with offices around the world, but we’ve stayed true to our core values.

The biggest challenge? Staying responsive to customer needs while growing globally. One of our guiding principles is that when a customer calls, they get a solution – not just another number.

Another challenge is keeping the NAVTOR culture central to everything we do as we grow. It’s not always easy, but it’s definitely worth the effort!

How do you maintain NAVTOR’s culture of innovation while managing global growth and customer demands?

We stay focused on our values of being bold, accountable, and dedicated. Innovation is not something we practice from time to time, it’s intrinsic to everything we do… part of our DNA.

Listening to customers, and close collaboration with them, plays a big part in that. Understanding industry challenges helps us develop better solutions and helps us, and them, lead the way in smart shipping.

NAVTOR has a strong presence in both the Greek and Cypriot markets. How important are these regions for your operations, and how do you plan to further support shipowners in this part of the world?

Greece is what I like to call our “prime cut”- our largest and most important market.

With the Voyager Worldwide acquisition and the establishment of NAVTOR Hellas, we’ve strengthened our commitment here significantly.

We now have dedicated sales and customer service teams based in Greece, ensuring close collaboration with both Greek and Cypriot clients. This local presence allows us to better support shipowners and help them unlock the full potential of NAVTOR’s innovative suite of products and services.

Do you see any unique challenges or opportunities in the Eastern Mediterranean shipping cluster?

This is a highly sophisticated and dynamic market, and everything is in place for even closer collaboration. The challenge, and the opportunity, is to help shipowners fully embrace the digital tools available to them to drive operational efficiency and sustainable success in the years ahead.

If you had one message for shipowners and operators navigating today’s maritime challenges, what would it be?

Take full advantage of the very latest developments in smart shipping solutions!

The future is digital, and those who embrace it fully will be better positioned to thrive in a constantly evolving landscape.

Finally, how do you define “smart shipping” in 2025?

Smart shipping in 2025? That’s NAVTOR. It’s everything we stand for: innovation through simplification – making shipping safer, more efficient, and more sustainable. Our strapline says it all: Smart shipping made easy.

Article from CyprusShippingNews.com