MARIS - Building the Maritime Information Society
MARIS is one of the G7 Information Society initiatives established in 1995 following the Information Society Forum in Brussels. Its aim is to promote the use of information and communications technologies in the maritime sector. The MARIS approach is 100% user-driven, to ensure the best response to actual needs in the maritime sector. The first aim of the MARIS projects is to raise awareness of new types of technologies and services among potential user communities. A second goal is to encourage information technology companies to make use of the results produced in those communities. The pragmatic approach of MARIS means that most of the applications developed are based on existing technology and on technical infrastructures and telecom services in use today in the maritime sector. MARIS also seeks to link existing national systems to create global maritime networks. The four main project areas within MARIS are as follows: - MARSOURCE concentrates on creating a fisheries and oceans information network; - MARTRANS aims to set up a port logistics information network; - MARVEL is developing technologies for the intelligent manufacture of ships and other maritime systems; - SAFEMAR is developing a ship reporting system for vessels to support the implementation of the various international conventions and resolutions. MARIS has recently created a regional network, founded by Bilbao, Bremen, Genoa and Helsinki. The aim of the network is to serve as an interface between local maritime players and the global state-of-the-art in advanced information and communications technologies. It will also serve to promote the successful applications developed for maritime industries in the Information Society.