- POSCO ICT won the bidding for Yeosu Coast Vessel Traffic Service System (VTS).
- A real-time monitoring system will be developed that links radars, Automatic Identification System (AIS), and CCTVs.

POSCO ICT will develop a sea route traffic control system implemented by the Korea Coast Guard.

Recently, POSCO ICT obtained order for the Yeosu Coast Vessel Traffic Service System (VTS) development project, and started a business in full scale.

The VTS is designed to provide the navigation information to vessels, using radars, Automatic Identification System (AIS), and CCTVs, in order to improve safety and efficiency of the vessel on the voyage. The VTS enhances safety and efficiency of the vessel operation, by providing the information on the vessel location and the floating matters on the sea (buoy) to vessel operators under the bad weather condition such as the fog and strong wind. In addition, the VTS can be used to prevent crime in the ocean by controlling over-speed vessels.

During the implementation of this project, the VTS system will be installed on the coast of Yeosu, including Sonjukdo, Geomundo, and Sorido. POSCO ICT will install monitoring equipment and develop an operational system by the second half of the next year. At the same time, POSCO ICT will lay the foundation of an integrated system to link and standardize the VTS that will be installed at other areas.

In particular, the importance of the VTS has been emphasized in Korea since the outbreak of the oil spill in the west sea in 2007. In these days, the VTS that used to be installed near the port is now installed on the coastal area. POSCO ICT plans to participate in the coast VTS project actively to keep pace with this trend.

“The VTS will reduce the incident significantly and allows efficient operation, by providing the ocean information obtained by monitoring the ocean to vessel operators. We will lead the age of Smart Ocean, based on POSCO ICT’s IT and engineering convergence technology skills, besides the future VTS integration project,” said one POSCO ICT official.

POSCO ICT signed a technical cooperation agreement with the Maritime & Ocean Engineering Research Institute last April, which is an affiliated research institute of Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute, and tries to find business opportunities in the ocean IT convergence area, such as the development of the vessel monitoring system, and entry into communication in the ocean, and plant construction.