Inmarsat Maritime, part of the Viasat global communications company, has won the 2023 International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) Award for Innovation and Technology in Maritime Search and Rescue.
Acknowledging volunteer and professional search-and-rescue (SAR) personnel from around the world, the award highlights those who have shown excellence in their field, developed innovative technology and equipment, or acted as a role model to inspire others.
“The Inmarsat Maritime Safety team works tirelessly to ensure that global satellite SAR capabilities are maintained to a standard above and beyond what is expected by the International Maritime Organization, and this award is testament to those efforts,” Inmarsat Maritime President Ben Palmer said. “As the safety challenges facing shipping continue to evolve, I have full faith in my colleagues’ ability to help drive maritime safety standards to new levels through a combination of technology, training and expert support.”
The Inmarsat Maritime Safety team designs and develops services to support SAR operations. These include the recently launched RescueNET which delivers fast, reliable, and approved SAR communications from ship to shore, from shore to ship, and between maritime rescue coordination centres (MRCCs).
To help users take full advantage of the capabilities offered by RescueNET and other Inmarsat safety services, the team provide training to SAR authorities worldwide and have created free online training packages for organisations to learn and test their capabilities using satellite services.
They also participate in global SAR exercises to offer recommendations for change and provide support in capacity building and training within established and developing MRCCs.
