AnchorBuddy addresses the crucial need of sailors of all backgrounds (the potential users) to improve the reliability and general experience of anchoring. Anchoring is a very much-controlled process and any person gaining command over a vessel should have sufficient knowledge and experience to carry out the procedure safely. Nonetheless, every year, there are numerous reports related to anchoring incidents. There have been a number of groundings, collisions and near miss incidents caused as a result of manoeuvring in an anchorage, dragging anchor, or leaving it too late before heaving up an anchor in poor weather. These incidents have resulted in loss of lives, pollution and costs running into tens of millions of euros.
Our anchoring assistance system allows also for maritime environment monitoring, reporting sea pollution and collecting water quality data. The conducted interviews have revealed that this data is of special interest to environmental as well as tourist agencies. These will be included in further development process in SME Phase 2.
The overall objectives of the feasibility study where market viability, technological viability, business model viability, economic and organizational viability. These objectives where further addressed with tasks as described in the technical report of the feasibility study. The work package was divided in 9 subtasks.
Task 1.1: Market analysis: in-depth desktop research, interviews with target groups to gather information on users and benefits we can offer, freedom to operate, competitor analysis
Task 1.2: Cooperation analysis and meetings with suppliers, manufacturing and distribution partners, terms and conditions of cooperation.
Task 2.1: Prototype production test with SailNomad to demonstrate technology viability.
Task 2.2: Innovation activities to scale-up and automation of production line, establishing most suitable manufacturing, sourcing and technology approach.
Task 2.3: Risk assessment regarding up-scale, use, regulatory demands, initial commercialization, team
Task 3.1: Meetings and interviews with potential users and customers to identify key benefits, communication approach and sales model. Intelligence needed for expansion of business operations.
Task 4.1: Financial strategy analysis and activities to secure financing for further development, involving meetings with potential investors.
Task 5.1: Defining company structure.
Task 5.2: IP management & strategy in order to apply for patents and research on legal terms of using our technology.
The conducted feasibility study has shown that the current lack of anchor safety systems presents an immense business opportunity. Through SME Phase 1 we have identified specific customer groups that present our early-adopter target population and we will develop further business models to specifically target these groups in SME Phase 2.
