We are happy to introduce our new logo and renewed brand image, which henceforth will be uniform for the entire Meriaura Group. Although the legal structure among the companies within the group remains unchanged, we have streamlined our organization and processes and work together as one entity, utilizing the knowledge and strengths of the different divisions. Thus, all our services will be found under the same umbrella, be it then chartering, agency, ship management, crewing, or port services. The ultimate purpose of the changes is to ensure top of the line customer service and expertise by joining forces for staying in the frontline of developing and implementing sustainable shipping solutions. In conjunction with the launch of our new brand, also our webpage has been updated – welcome to have a look!
The brand or logo as such means nothing without the values, ambitions and promises behind it. Our corporate values are Innovativeness, Cooperation, Honesty, Hard Work and Responsibility and we truly do our best to live up to these perhaps a bit solemn-sounding words. These values are set to apply as well in our internal as external work because we believe that good team spirit is also transmitted to the outside world. How well we succeed, will ultimately be assessed by our customers and partners, and we highly valuate all kind of feedback.
Within the Meriaura Group we have always spent, and still spend lots of resources and time to create a greener shipping industry. The path towards zero emissions is not always straight and the journey consists of many small steps, but sometimes also great leaps are needed. The small steps are the decisions made on a daily basis and which are feasible with existing resources and technology. For example, by continuously focusing on the vessels utilization rate, bunker consumption, ballast percentage and idle time, remarkable environmental benefits can be achieved. Besides good and open communication among all parties involved, an improved operational efficiency demands foresight, flexibility and an organization that challenges each other and together constantly strives for better practices. In this “search for excellence” we shall not forget the vessel’ crew, who at the end of the day are playing a key role for the outcome of each voyage. Thus, involving the officers in the everyday planning and decision making is part of our efforts to take advantage of the joint expertise of the Group.
In order to take the great leaps also investments in new tonnage and technology will be necessary. A few years ago, we took delivery on the EcoCoasters, with the capability to run on biofuel and whose consumption is remarkably lower than for similar vessels of same size. Although almost 5 years have passed, these vessels are still quite unique. And perhaps even more unique was the launch of the EcoVoy contract in 2019, which offers a possibility for the customer to sign for almost CO2 neutral transports. But being almost there has never been good enough and now it´s time to put the bar higher. Our next and ambitious project is to launch a 100% carbon-neutral vessel concept. Besides emission free propulsion the new concept includes smarter solutions for cargo handling in order to eliminate weather risks and to reduce port time.
Investing in new and sophisticated vessels must be supported by investments in digitalization. This is analogous to the computer world – the hardware and the software need to be compatible in order to get the most out of your investment. Also, in this respect we consider us being a forerunner in the industry and thanks to the early adoption of digital tools, the sudden transition to working from home went very smoothly already one year ago. Future digitalization is supposed to provide better and more timely information, which in turn aims at a better utilization rate and in the end economical and ecological efficiency.
Working to provide more sustainable solutions is awarding as such, but nowadays we also feel that we have a responsibility towards our customers to do our part. All serious business must and will take measures to reduce their environmental impact in order to guarantee their competitiveness in the market. Many of our contract customers have set up ambitious goals and timelines for cutting their emissions and in some cases even to reach carbon neutrality. As a service provider, we are eager to contribute in order to support our counterparts in reaching their aspirations.
Beppe Rosin
