NELSON Project – Advancing Safe and Efficient Remote Pilotage
The NELSON project (Development of Navigational Efficiency and Safety with Digital Solutions for Future Fairways) is a large-scale European initiative funded by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). The project aims to transform maritime navigation by introducing digital, data-driven and remote operation capabilities, with a strong focus on:
- Smart fairways and intelligent infrastructure
- Remote pilotage services
- Advanced traffic monitoring and data integration
- Improved safety and efficiency in maritime transport
The project contributes to safer, greener, and more efficient shipping, supporting the digital transformation of European waterways.
- Official name of the project: NELSON – Development of Navigational Efficiency and Safety with Digital Solutions for Future Fairways
- Call topic: CEF-T-2024-SIMOBGEN-VTMIS-WORKS
- Funded by: Connecting Europe Facility – European Commission
- Consortium Project Manager: Hanna Kajander, hanna.kajander(at)fintraffic.fi
- Duration: 01.09.2025–31.08.2028
- Budget: 14,977,360 EUR of which 50% (7,890,124 EUR) funded by European Union
Project structure and work packages
The NELSON project is organized into several interconnected Work Packages (WPs) that together enable the development, validation, and deployment of remote pilotage and smart fairway solutions.
WP1 – Project Management and Coordination
The first (WP1) focuses on project management and work coordination as well as communication and engagement activities.
WP2 – VDES Infrastructure Development
A radio coverage analysis and installation plan for the VDES (VHF Data Exchange System) will be carried out. NELSON will be equipping selected maritime areas in Finland and Swedish territorial waters with VDES base stations to support the needs of remote pilotage trials.
WP3 – Remote Pilotage Development
Remote pilotage procedures and technical requirements will be defined, and new technical solutions will be developed. Risk and cost-benefit analyses of remote pilotage will be conducted in accordance with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Formal Safety Assessment (FSA) methodology.
WP4 – Finnish and Swedish Maritime Digital Services
A service platform for digital traffic management information services will be established, including an internationally standardized ship route exchange service integrated with Vessel Traffic Services (VTS).
WP5 – Testing and Validation
The developed solutions, services, and infrastructure will be tested and validated using actual vessels. All services will be audited for cybersecurity before deployment.
WP6 – Enhanced Connectivity by Maritime Solutions
A service platform will be established for digital traffic management information services. The digital information exchange solutions will be tested and validated in both the Canary Islands and mainland Spain.
Role of Aalto University
Aalto University plays a scientific and methodological role in the NELSON project, particularly in risk assessment of remote pilotage systems. Aalto leads Task 3.5 – Risk and Cost-Benefit Assessment of Remote Pilotage.
Aalto’s scientific approach
Aalto applies a state-of-the-art safety engineering methodology combining:
- STPA (System-Theoretic Process Analysis)
- Bayesian Networks (BN)
This approach enables:
- Modelling of complex socio-technical systems
- Understanding risk propagation from failures to losses
- Supporting operational decisions in real time
People at Aalto University
Project partners
NELSON is a multi-stakeholder project involving:
- Fintraffic Vessel Traffic Services Ltd, Finland (coordinator)
- Swedish Maritime Administration, Sweden
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Finland
- Finnpilot Pilotage Ltd, Finland
- Hiades Business Patterns, S.L., Spain
- Aalto University, Finland
- Advian Software Oy, Finland
- Brighthouse Intelligence Oy, Finland
- Port Authority of Las Palmas, Spain
- Port Authority of Huelva, Spain
Fintraffic is the lead coordinator of the NELSON project and is also responsible for the implementation of work packages WP1, WP2, WP4, and WP5 in collaboration with project partners. Finnpilot Pilotage leads WP3 and Hiades Business Partners leads WP6.