CGI Consortium Wins £1m Grant for MaritimeTwin Digital Twin Project
CGI Consortium Wins £1m Grant for MaritimeTwin Digital Twin Project
Synopsis:
- CGI leads consortium winning £1m grant for MaritimeTwin.
- Project to cut UK shipping emissions by up to 15%.
- Partners include Maritime UK and Heriot-Watt University’s IDRIC.
- Backed by SEEDS, CMDC Round 6, and UK SHORE.
- Incorporates CGI’s DataTwin360 and EcoHub platforms.
5 mins Read
A consortium led by consulting services company CGI has secured more than £1m ($1.35m) in government funding to develop MaritimeTwin, a digital twin platform designed to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from UK shipping by up to 15 percent. The initiative supports the UK’s Clean Maritime Plan and wider government net-zero commitments, with partners including Maritime UK and the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) at Heriot-Watt University.
CGI won the grant through its Sustainability Exploration and Environmental Data Science (SEEDS) research programme, which received funding via the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) Round 6 under the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE). The project will also make use of CGI’s DataTwin360 and EcoHub platforms, bringing additional analytical capability to the prototype.
The MaritimeTwin system will leverage satellite data and digital twin technology to optimize route planning, fuel consumption, and emissions tracking. According to IDRIC, the maritime sector accounts for roughly 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, a figure that could rise to 10 percent by 2050 if no measures are taken. CGI said the platform will allow operators to test different scenarios using real-time environmental data such as weather conditions, ocean currents, and port activity, while machine learning algorithms will continuously refine accuracy.
CGI UK chief sustainability officer Mattie Yeta said the award will enable development of a demonstrator that delivers measurable impact across the maritime sector, while bolstering the UK’s position as a leader in clean maritime technology, driving growth and creating high-skilled jobs.
Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer, director of IDRIC at Heriot-Watt University, said the pace and complexity of maritime decarbonisation demands rigorous and independent research, adding that the consortium would accelerate commercialisation by combining academic expertise with real-world testing.
Maritime UK chief executive Chris Shirling-Rooke said the organisation’s focus is to ensure stakeholders are meaningfully engaged so that the solution is technically robust and market viable. Innovate UK’s head of land and maritime transport, Neale Ryan, described the initiative as an example of how digital twin systems can help vessels find lower-carbon routes, adding that UK SHORE-funded projects are charting a course toward a more sustainable maritime sector.
UK SHORE is currently supporting 500 organisations nationwide, driving innovation in clean maritime technology across ports and shipyards.
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About CGI
CGI is a global IT and business consulting services leader headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Established in 1976, it operates in over 40 countries with more than 90,000 employees. The company delivers end-to-end services, including strategic IT consulting, systems integration, managed services, and industry-specific solutions. CGI is active in sectors such as government, energy, finance, and healthcare, with a growing emphasis on sustainability and digital transformation. Its innovation initiatives, including the Sustainability Exploration and Environmental Data Science (SEEDS) programme, highlight its commitment to leveraging advanced technologies like digital twins and AI to drive efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
About Maritime UK
Maritime UK is an industry body representing the collective voice of the UK’s £116 billion maritime sector. Its members include shipping, ports, marine engineering, professional services, and leisure marine industries. The organisation plays a central role in coordinating industry priorities, influencing policy, and supporting innovation. Maritime UK works closely with government to ensure the sector aligns with national strategies such as net-zero goals and the Clean Maritime Plan. It also provides forums for collaboration among stakeholders, focusing on skills development, diversity, sustainability, and technology adoption, while ensuring the maritime industry remains globally competitive and strategically important to the UK economy.
About IDRIC (Heriot-Watt University)
The Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) is based at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Established to accelerate the UK’s transition to net-zero, it focuses on decarbonising heavy industries through cutting-edge research and innovation. IDRIC brings together academic expertise, industry partners, and government stakeholders to deliver solutions for reducing carbon emissions in sectors such as energy, manufacturing, and transport. With over 100 collaborative projects, it integrates data science, engineering, and environmental research. By supporting initiatives like MaritimeTwin, IDRIC applies its expertise to complex challenges in maritime decarbonisation, combining rigorous academic insight with practical applications to enable rapid commercialisation and real-world impact.
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