Space Horizon is a company dedicated to Maritime Services using high tech solutions. A very intersting interview with the Managing Director of Space Horizon Mr. Spiros Kapotas, follows:
Mr Spiros Kapotas , Give us a few information for Space Horizon
Space Horizon is a company dedicated to Maritime Services using high tech solutions .Company has been founded in US 6 years ago providing network services and the relationship with Greek Shipping started after a partnership with MBA (Maritime Business Alliance ) , a maritime company dedicated to commercial deals , representing a pool of 20 Shipping Companies of total 300 vessels .Acknowledging the high potential of Greek Shipping , Space Horizon transferred all its activities in Greece where three years ago , a research center was founded in Patras University Park , targeting to develop solutions dedicated to Shipping .Our team covers a wide range of science , from Computer Engineering to Chemical Engineering (our new ,Commercial Manager Mr Tassos Kaklamanis , is a Chemical Engineer with many years of experience in Greek Shipping ) and scientists from other areas are involved , depending on each new projects individual needs .
Why in Patra?
Patra was always at the edge of technological evolution. Patra’s University was the first University in Greece launching a department of studies for Computer Engineers in 1980. The first Technological Institute in Greece was also founded in Patra in 1985. There are more than 50.000 University students living and studying in Patra University and West Greece Technological Institute. The academic institutions, the students as well as many small and big high-tech companies active in the area, create an “ecosystem”. This means that a company can easily recruit high skilled personnel. This ecosystem also encourages partnerships and collaborations with the Academic Institutes rand the other companies.
What is exactly your present activity?
As previously stated, Space Horizon started as a company of providing network services (network security, data transfer, internet management, etc.). When the company entered Shipping Market, it became obvious that our primary target should be the protection of ships, not only in the level of network security but also in the level of undesirable expenses. Starting from ship’s Satellite Communications area, we evolved, amongst other projects, a unique in Maritime Operations, Control Mechanism of the commercial and technical aspects that structure the agreement/contract between a Shipping Company andh the Satellite Airtime Providers (solution name: Comix). This way, the Shipping Company can avoid mistaken charges as well as charges due to exceeding the agreed/contracted Airtime necessary for a vessel’s needs. The result is that a Shipping Company can annually save thousands of euro per vessel. During last years, Space Horizon services have enabled more than 20 of our customers to save in total more than 11 million euro!! (recently, we saved for a 10 BC fleet company, the amount of 210.000 euro annually). Space Horizon expands its activities to other sectors but always under the same philosophy: To reduce vessels operating expenses by applying high tech solutions.
In what other sectors are you expanding activities?
Our activities cover three main areas. First area is vessels Satellite Communications and services as described above. Second area is vessels Cyber Security by applying modern techniques such as simulating cyber-attacks to asses vessels vulnerability. Important to mention at this point that our company is certified with ISO 27001. This is the ISO covering all the Cyber Security aspects and it is so strict to get, that you will not easily find Maritime companies certified with it.
Third area, which is the newest and most interesting concerns vessels Performance Monitoring and Technical Optimization. In this area there is a series of individual innovative projects under evolution, as also many confidential (custom made solutions for specific companies), with leading a huge project on which we refer below in details. The basic concept is to collect a huge amount of data from on board instruments from multiple vessels and for long time, to be used in machine-learning sophisticated mathematic algorithms, detecting good and bad patterns regarding fuel consumption and engines operation. This innovative section is believed to change the future operation of Shipping Companies, in a way far more sophisticated in comparison to the traditional operating model, resulting to considerable improvements and savings. Currently, Space Horizon is making a huge investment of time, cost and scientific personnel in this area without charging anything, achieving to engage more and more major Shipping Companies in the biggest data experiment ever planned for Greek Shipping .
How do you diversify from competition?
I would say that for each of our sectors/activities, we have at least one competitive advantage. In Satellite communications we are the only company controlling the vessel’s actual data transfer and the relative charges. In Cyber Security we are the only company, as far as I know, certified with ISO 270001. Finally, in the sector of Performance Monitoring, we follow a different approach from markets mainstreame. This is because we use machine-learning sophisticated mathematic algorithms. Our cooperation with MBA (Maritime Business Alliance) for R&D gives us a potential access to a huge amount of data that allows to be ahead in research and especially in the innovative area of Data Analytics, which is generally considered to be the future of the Marine Operations
What is your vision?
Our vision is to be acknowledged by Greek Ship Owners as “No 1 R&D Strategic Trusted 3rd Party Partner, protecting Ship Owners Interests “ and lead Greek and World Shipping market to a new cost saving era regarding the operating expenses , though high technology solutions .
*Managing Director Space Horizon
Photo: Mr. Spiros Kapotas(left) with Mr. Tassos Kaklamanis Commercial Manager Space Horizon