Weathernews Highlights Partnership Power in Holistic Value Creation
As the push towards decarbonization accelerates and new IMO regulations reshape the shipping industry, collaboration has never been more crucial. Working together both within and outside the sector is essential for enhancing climate performance at every level. Technology providers joining forces can significantly improve the customer experience through innovative solutions that support decision-making at sea and onshore.
At its core, Weathernews’ partnerships are deeply tied to its mission of making weather information widely accessible. Headquartered in Tokyo, the company is dedicated to improving forecast accuracy and expanding its observation coverage through proprietary multi-source data technologies, including satellites and radar.
Weathernews collaborates with international meteorological agencies to mitigate natural disaster risks. It also partners with the University of Tokyo to gather critical environmental data from the Arctic Ocean, as well as typhoons and volcanic plumes, via the WNISAT-1R nanosatellite. Additionally, Weathernews is developing the AI Disaster Prevention Chatbot SOCDA, an interactive platform designed to facilitate rapid information exchange during disaster events as part of Japan's Strategic Innovation Program. This chatbot empowers communities to prepare for and mitigate severe weather impacts.
Representatives from Weathernews frequently attend high-level international conferences to discuss their public-private partnerships aimed at reducing disaster and weather risks. The company continuously seeks opportunities to leverage its expertise to support communities and nations globally.
In maritime operations, Weathernews has formed strategic partnerships to advance its weather technology. According to Henrik Faurschou, Head of Product and Strategy at Weathernews, “Collaborating with other companies to create smarter, data-driven services is key to achieving more sustainable shipping. This approach maximizes performance while minimizing environmental impact, helping our clients meet their goals now and in the future. Only through collaboration can we drive significant innovations.”
Key partnerships include:
Vessel Performance Solutions (VPS)
Denmark-based VPS specializes in helping customers analyze operational data for performance evaluation and energy savings. Leveraging decades of experience from major shipping companies, VPS shares its fuel models with Weathernews to optimize weather routing services. “This cross-fertilization benefits both parties by adding value for clients,” says Faurschou.
Wärtsilä
Since June 2021, Weathernews has partnered with Wärtsilä Voyage to integrate Weathernews’ weather data and Optimum Ship Routing (OSR) services into Wärtsilä’s products. This collaboration enhances navigational safety and promotes decarbonization. “Automating navigation and route planning with weather avoidance technology helps reduce risks such as container losses, increased fuel consumption, and schedule disruptions,” Faurschou explains. The partnership allows Weathernews’ forecasting models to be incorporated into Wärtsilä’s Fleet Operations Solution (FOS) and Navi-Planner, creating additional features like route overlays and charts.
NAVTOR
Since 2018, Weathernews has worked with NAVTOR to enhance safety and efficiency for forward-thinking shipowners and operators. Their combined DOSCA DX / NavStation 5.3 platform simplifies tasks through digitalization and automation, unlocking efficiencies, improving safety, reducing costs, and enhancing environmental performance. “Our collaboration has resulted in integrated systems that provide seamless, user-friendly navigation from berth to berth,” says Faurschou.
Dataloy Systems
In June 2022, Weathernews and Dataloy Systems formed a strategic integration partnership to enhance voyage management with accurate weather data, supporting lower operational costs and emissions. This collaboration integrates multiple data feeds and situational alerts for better weather assessment and route planning. “This integration enables customers to make fast, informed decisions, improving safety and reducing emissions based on our extensive historical weather data,” Faurschou notes.
Veson Nautical
Weathernews’ interface partnership with Veson Nautical allows for customizable client-requested connections, with plans to upgrade to a comprehensive platform partnership. Weathernews is also working on optimizing entire commercial voyages and developing solutions for rapid access to routing data across platforms.
Fleet management operations and fleet management software are also key areas where Weathernews’ technologies and partnerships bring significant value. By integrating with advanced systems, Weathernews enhances fleet environmental impact assessments, fleet insights, and emission management.
In addition, Weathernews focuses on global fleet monitoring and weather risk management, ensuring that their clients have access to the most accurate and timely information for optimal decision-making.
“Collaboration and knowledge sharing are essential for decarbonizing our industry,” concludes Faurschou. “We can achieve much more together than alone.”
