Financially, we are doing well at Stena. All our business areas deliver strong results.

Our businesses have recovered in a good way after the pandemic. Profitability is stable on a high level and today all our business areas are profitable.

The summer season which is of importance for Stena Line has been favorable. After delivery of five new ships in the route network, Stena Line is modernized and well equipped for continued growth. Our customer offer is attractive, in regard to both travel and freight segments.

Since 2014, when the oil price fell sharply, Stena Drilling has had major profitability challenges. Finally, the market has turned and since July all drill ships have been chartered out on profitable contracts. Next year looks even better, especially as the new contracts will have a year-round effect, but also with the addition of the new drill ship Stena Evolution.

Stena Bulk’s tankers, which operate in a highly volatile market, continue to deliver good results. There are many reasons behind today’s strong market, but the main cause is probably a general increase in demand for tanker transport as a result of sanctions against Russian oil and also that not many new tankers have been ordered.

Stena Adactum and Stena Fastigheter continue to deliver stable results. However, we see somewhat of a slowdown in the companies in Stena Adactum’s portfolio aimed at the Nordic consumer.

Stena Metall has halved its profit. This year’s profit is still our second best ever. An important reason for the halving is declining raw material prices and a certain slowdown in industrial activities in Stena Metall’s markets.

The main reason for our continued success is that we have dedicated employees who care about each other and our customers. We want the best for each other and have the courage to continue investing, in good times as well as in bad times.

“CARE FOR EACH OTHER AND THE FUTURE” WAS THE THEME OF THIS YEAR’S SPHERE FORUM.

We live in a time of increased complexity and unpredictability. It presents us with a number of challenges but also a number of opportunities and an exciting existence. I have always been curious, asked a lot of questions to people with different knowledge and experience and I have not been afraid to explore new things. This way the complex and unpredictable becomes less scary and less complicated. We increase the possibilities to solve the challenges that come with our time.

All the speakers at this year’s Sphere Forum referred to this complexity and unpredictability. The most interesting question will then be how we can continue to be successful regardless of what the conditions are. There will be higher demands on all of us to continue to explore and learn new things at an ever-increasing pace in order for us to continue to be relevant as a company and to our customers. At the rapid pace of change we are experiencing, the need to think effectively and act with consideration and care is therefore increasing. Care paired with reflection will continue to be even more of a guiding light for how we work together and do business. A good way to get even better at it is to regularly take a pause and reflect. Taking time out for a short break every now and then is important. This way, we get access to our full capacity and can use our human capa-bilities to the full.

The rate of development means that it is no longer enough to increase the pace, instead we have to work smarter. When exploration and learning basically become the future strategy, we also need to set aside time for learning. A successful way to achieve this is to add so called ”learning time”/ learning blockers into the calendar to encourage and enable continuous learning. I encourage all of you to do so. I look forward to learning about what new knowledge and abilities we can bring to Stena.

With the need to explore more and learn new things at a higher rate, the need for care will also increase. The success of the last few years has shown that perfection is possible. Perfection is based on care. Our future is about care for each other as well as for the world around us. In our continued development, care must therefore remain the guiding light for both our own and Stena’s successes.

Overall, we are well equipped for the challenges of the future! In the really long term however, we will face enormous cost problems following the transition to fossil-free fuels.

The gains from our rapid digital development are then very encouraging.

During this year’s Sphere Forum, Nina Schick presented her view on what the new technology can achieve going forward. Nina is a leading expert in Generative AI. AI is a machine’s ability to display human-like traits, such as reasoning, learning, planning and creativity. Generative AI is about using self-learning computing power to generate texts and reports as well as photos and movies. The level of technology has now reached such a point that we can no longer determine with our senses whether something is generated by a computer or not.

In addition to a summary input or order for what is being searched, the production of a text or image can take place extremely quickly and without human intervention. The technology spreads incredibly quickly thanks to the fact that we now have a global digital ecosystem. About 65% of the world’s population uses the internet today and about 85% have a smartphone.

The most talked about AI application today is ChatGPT, which is a virtual assistant for answering questions and generating texts. The spread of the application is incredibly fast. It took Facebook 10 months in 2004 to reach one million users. In 2010, Instagram needed 75 days. ChatGPT managed the equivalent in just 5 days and the forecast is 100 million users by November!

Humanity is now experiencing one of the biggest technological revolutions ever. Nina expressed it as follows – during the coming generation we will experience a greater technology driven change for humanity than during all previous generations combined.

With new powerful technology comes of course both opportunities and risks. I think everyone has heard what some say could happen if/when technology becomes smarter than humans. As always, I reason, it is not the technology itself that is the risk, but how we as humans choose to use it. For the first time, however, it may be that the system takes over before we realize the danger or that it has already happened.

The possibilities are still fantastic! We can only hope that they will be used correctly. For companies with leading ambitions, the implementation of the new technology will be a requirement. It is us as employees who must find the right way together – with responsibility and care. I urge everyone to think about and discuss with your colleagues how the new AI technology can and should be used in your respective businesses.

Dan Sten Olsson, CEO

Göteborg September 2023

Even though we have already so many connected devices, the trend will only continue. For example, there is currently an explosion in healthcare with doctors and nurses monitoring patients directly in their homes via smart sensors. Telemedicine is gaining widescale deployment.

The next big step for connected devices is likely to involve virtual worlds, and perhaps even more so when it comes to augmented reality. Linking together humans and machines has already begun, with people who have lost an arm, for example, being able to control an artificial arm directly via an interface with their brains.

While all these technologies offer fantastic opportunities, the number of connected devices combined with new technologies means that security has never been more important. With each new device or application connected, new vulnerabilities can arise.

Cybersecurity therefore needs to be an integral aspect of our projects, especially when developing new systems. Much also depends on how we behave when using IT systems and sharing information. One important thing to keep in mind is to update when there are new security patches, which you can read about in this issue of Stena Sphere.

The purpose of Stena Bulk’s regular senior officers’ meeting is not only to be a pleasant event, but also to help further develop operations in various ways.

“The starting point is to constantly improve and deliver stronger results for Stena Bulk,” says Daniel Edvall, General Manager, Fleet Operations, Stena Bulk, who organized this year’s senior officers’ meeting. “The meeting helps to navigate all the many people that make up Stena Bulk in the same direction and towards the same goal.”

The officers working for Stena Bulk come from all over the world, with an emphasis on India, Russia and Eastern Europe.

“For some, it meant a couple of days’ travel and quite extensive logistics to get here. So it’s great to see how everyone really made an effort to be able to participate during these days, says Daniel Edvall.”

This year’s meeting was attended by 60 of Stena Bulk’s senior officers, i.e. a significant proportion of the chief engineers and second engineers who were not currently on board. Husbands and wives were also invited, bringing the total guest list to around 100 people. Some events were held jointly, such as the dinners. But there was also a specific partner program that included among other things, a popular behind-the-scenes visit to the
Gothenburg Opera.

“We don’t always invite partners, but this is an important part of the whole,” says Daniel Edvall. “Crews need a secure and good home life to do a good job, and it’s equally important that their partners can rest assured that they’re safe while working with us. Part of the benefit of meeting like this is that the partners get the opportunity to meet each other and share their experiences.”

The officers’ program included visits to the head office, seminars with Stena Bulk’s various departments, as well as Stena Teknik and Stena Assurans. Half of the first day was spent at the Donsö Shipping Meet, where the officers were divided into six groups. Each group was then tasked with finding three innovations or new solutions at the fair that could in some way improve or streamline operations.

“There were actually 18 unique solutions,” says Daniel Edvall. “Many were about reducing energy consumption, but there were also proposals that focused on economy. For example, one group had found spare parts at a lower price. We’ll now go through all the proposals, and some will be implemented.”

The exercise was not only about finding concrete proposals but was also part of structured activities in working with improvements that Stena Bulk has initiated together with Northern Marine.

“We have almost 1,200 crew members and I expect many of them have great ideas,” says Daniel Edvall. “Some may not be suitable because they are presently too expensive. But in the changing world we live in, conditions can change quickly. This is why it’s important to take all the ideas into consideration.”

However, simply collecting ideas in a random manner can be counterproductive, especially if no one really gives them a good look.

“As of this year, we’ve come up with a clearer structure, where we run a campaign around a specific issue and ask crews to come up with solutions, such as if we notice that there is an area where problems often occur,” says Daniel Edvall.

An example of this was on the Stena Suède where water was running down from the deck and causing rust stains on the sides. The crew and master for Stena’s Suezmax fleet jointly came up with a solution that involved inserting hoses into drainage holes that protrude a few centimeters from the side of the ship. This prevents water from running down the side and causing the stains.

“I think this is a good example of a small, simple solution that is smart, effective and saves a lot of money,” says Daniel Edvall. “It doesn’t always have to be about the big ideas. Sometimes it can be many small ideas that together improve results or create added value for Stena Bulk and our customers.”

The shipping industry will be facing several major challenges in the coming years, in terms of sustainability, geopolitical aspects and a significant need for skills at a global level.  This was reflected in this year’s theme for the Donsö Shipping Meet (DSM), which was “We change for the future”.

“As shipping companies, suppliers and trade unions, we need to work together with our political representatives to deal with the changes required for our maritime cluster to continue to grow and be successful in the future,” said David Kristensson, Group Chief Executive Officer, Northern Offshore Services in his opening presentation at the Commercial & Financing Meet, which is part of DSM.

For two glorious days at the end of August, the nearly 3,000 visitors enjoyed seminars, panel debates, speed-meetings and an exhibition with 270 exhibitors. Stena participated with a bright and spacious stand manned by Stena Teknik, Stena Oil, Stena RoRo, Stena Line Scandinavia, Stena Rederi and Clyde Travel.

“I appreciate this as one of the best shipping fairs for us,” says Paul Cronje, Managing Director of Clyde Travel, which is part of the Northern Marine Group. “There is a nice energy here and interest in many issues, not only technology, but also in manning and business travel which is what Clyde Travel works with.”

Jan Bodén, Sales Manager for Clyde Travel in the Nordics, agrees.

“It is an excellent opportunity to meet industry colleagues as well as customers. Everyone who is here has traveled here in some way and also has opinions based on that,” he points out.

In addition to manning the stand, Paul Cronje was also responsible for Stena’s only seminar during this year’s event, which was about flight prices and what is happening in the market there.

One of the other participants at the Stena stand was Jenny Eriksson from Bunker Trader at Stena Oil.

“DSM has become an increasingly important commercial venue for monitoring what is happening in the industry and meeting people,” she explains. “It’s also a good opportunity to network between the companies within Stena. This evening, there will be over 200 people from Stena in attendance.”

For Sandra Hellgren, a trainee in the Stena Group IT Graduate Program, it was the first time on Donsö.

“Being here creates a lot of contacts, which is a good entry point and makes it easier when you want to get in touch with someone next time,” she says.

Stena was also involved in arranging the recurring seminar on safety, the DSM Safety Meet, where the main focus for the year was on new energy sources for ships. A seminar was held covering each of the alternatives on the agenda and was followed up with informal discussion sessions in the afternoon.

“I think we hit a sweet spot here, the event got lots of attention and the seminars and discussions wall were well attended,” says Martin Carlsson of Stena Teknik, part of the event’s organizing team. “In addition, we also had sessions on RoRo ship safety, with a contribution from the EU-funded LASH FIRE project just being completed. This is an interesting topic, embracing for example the new fire risks with Li-Ion batteries.”

Another important element, in which Stena Rederi was involved, was an event linked to the major need for skills supply in shipping. For the second time in a row, DSM’s HR group invited student and career counselors from all over the country to provide information on maritime professions, career paths and training programs.

“The shipping industry is facing significant recruitment needs,” says Angela Jenhed, Senior Advisor Shipping & Manning at Stena Rederi.

Approximately 250 new naval officers are needed in Sweden this year and, in addition to these, there is a great need for officers.

“At the global level, around 100,000 additional officers are needed in the coming years. And the shortage does not only apply at sea. People to staff the various government authorities and shipping offices are also needed.”

The event, which attracted over 70 participants, featured lectures and panel discussions on training programs and careers. Participants also had the opportunity to visit both new and old ships. A visit to the Swedish East Indiaman Götheborg, built according to its 18th century namesake, provided perspective.

“We learned that you needed a crew of 140 to manage such a ship back then, whereas 12 are enough for a much larger ship today,” says Lina Hansson, Study and Vocational Guidance Officer in Ljungskile in the Uddevalla municipality. “And just to manage the rudder of the four-tonne Götheborg, you needed several people, whereas today you can easily operate everything with a small joystick.”

She was very pleased with the event.

“The panel discussions were great,” says Lina Hansson. “Among other things, we learned what a day on the job can be like in concrete terms, which is good for counseling students who don’t know anything about working at sea. I’ve learned a lot myself as well. I didn’t know that the work is so varied, what the jobs entail and that there are so many different things you can do in shipping.”

ABOUT THE DONSÖ SHIPPING MEET (DSM)

The Donsö Shipping Meet is held every two years on the island of Donsö, just outside Gothenburg, Sweden. The event includes an exhibition, seminars, panel discussions and a program of organized meetings, as well as a banquet with around 2,100 seated guests. Due to the pandemic, the 2021 event/fair was moved to 2022. The next event will be held September 1–3, 2025.

Many of these initiatives might not have an astronomic impact – but they don’t take much effort either.

STOP THE STANDBY

The hazardous waste branch in Vissenbjerg has installed a timer on the water heating system, for the washing line. This has resulted in a 25 per cent reduction in energy. The potential was spotted by one of Stena Recycling DK’s sustainability ambassadors. 

Many machines can be shut down during nights and weekends such as water coolers, coffee machines, screens, and other IT equipment.

REUSE – IF NOT ALL, THEN SOME!

Reuse is above recycling in the waste hierarchy. Even though Stena Recycling lives from recycling, there is good sense in reusing when possible – both economically and environmentally. Here are two examples of how it’s done in practice:

Reusing 70 per cent of a truck

This year, an 8-year-old truck needed to be replaced, but Kim Theilgaard, responsible for purchasing trucks and working machines, insisted on reusing all parts that were not yet worn out. This resulted in 70 per cent reuse of the truck.

Replacing only tabletops

When the administration building in Grenå was refurbished, only the tabletops of the height-adjustable desks were replaced. This approach ensures that fully functional parts can continue to serve for many more years.

WASH AND REUSE WORKWEAR

In Grenå and Roskilde, used and well-functioning workwear is saved. This clothing is provided to temporary workers, new employees, and when someone needs something “new”. Workwear is produced to last – here it is ensured that they are fully used before being thrown out.

DON’T USE SINGLE-USE PRODUCTS

Single-use products are in their nature not produced to last, and very rarely produced to be recycled. Therefore, the use of single-use products is minimized and when they are used, it is only for visitors, such as truck drivers that need items. The production in Roskilde replaced the single-use cups for its staff with cups from second-hand shops and saved DKK 35,000 (EUR 4,700) in one year.

NATURE CERTIFICATE AS A WELCOME GESTURE

Replacing the traditional welcome flowers with a nature certificate for new employees gives back to nature instead of taking. Each certificate reserves 20 m2 for wild nature in Denmark.

WRAP LESS AND SAVE A LOT

Stena Recycling uses plenty of plastic wrapping when handling hazardous waste. In Denmark, they have experimented with using enough, but not too much foil when securing the material on the pallets. They have found that the ideal number of wraps is nine. This has resulted in a 25 per cent reduction in plastic on all pallets – a simple saving in both money and CO₂, by doing the same thing, just a little less.

WASH AND REUSE THE WORK GLOVES

Handling waste can be dirty and requires the use of working gloves. In some branches, it was common practice to discard gloves once they became too dirty. This procedure has been changed in Grenå because a production staff member has taken the initiative to sort and clean well-functioning gloves. This is expected to result in a 75 percent saving, equivalent to DKK 45,000 (EUR 6,000) per year.

The Stena Recycling Group, encompassing Stena Recycling’s operations in eight markets, committed to the Science Based Targets initiative in April 2022. The climate targets set by Stena Recycling have now been validated and approved by the Science Based Targets initiative.

Stena Recycling’s commitment is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from its own operations (Scope 1 & 2) with 50 per cent by 2030 from a 2021 base year, and to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, upstream transportation, and downstream transportation by 25 per cent within the same timeframe. In addition to the 2030 target, Stena Recycling has also submitted a commitment to set net-zero targets for 2050, which yet remains to be validated.

“Together with our customers, we are already contributing to reducing climate impact, by turning their waste into new resources through our advanced recycling technologies. But we are also determined to reduce our own climate footprint in Stena Recycling. The approved science-based targets support us in continuously developing the best services within recycling and circular solutions, while also ensuring that we will do so with a low climate impact throughout our operations and value chain”, says Kristofer Sundsgård, CEO of Stena Metall Group.

The work is currently ongoing to set the roadmap and action plan to achieve the targets. Stena Recycling will focus on reducing emissions from its own working machines and trucks through electrification and the use of biofuels, transitioning to fossil-free electricity throughout operations, as well as reviewing the logistics chain and collaborating with transport suppliers to find more carbon efficient solutions.

DRIVING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY FORWARD

“Securing validation of our science-based target is an important recognition of our sustainability ambitions”, says Anna Sundell, Head of Sustainability & Communications. “We are very proud of our role in driving the circular economy forward, which reduces the need for climate intensive extraction of virgin resources. Equally important for us is that we are not only sustainable in what we do, but also in how we do it, which includes accelerating our journey towards carbon-efficient operations.

FACTS

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a global organization that aims to help and support companies set climate goals. These goals must be relevant and contribute to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, compared to pre-industrial levels, according to current scientific opinion. Joining the SBTi provides opportunities to support, engage, and share best working practices concerning climate impact.

An important aim of the initiative is to publicize the work done within its affiliated companies and inspire others to pursue similar efforts. The SBTi is a globally known initiative, which several large Swedish companies are affiliated to.

Stena Line’s portfolio company, Sembo, is an international tour operator specialising in vacation rentals, hotels, flights, car rentals and ferry tickets. Originally, they focused on road trips to and around the Mediterranean with suggested stopovers along the way. For the last couple of years however, the team has developed a new platform that will revolutionise the travel industry.

“We’re allowing our customers to become their own travel agents,” reveals Andreas Elmgren, General Manager to Sembo – Stena Line Travel Group. “We have the world’s simplest and greatest trip planning tool. While others are trying to do the same, we’re proud to be the forerunners.”

DIGITALISING THE ENTIRE TRAVEL AGENCY

Patrik Hägne, CTO at Sembo, explains it further. “The traditional travel agents online offer no flexibility. You must know from the start where you want to go, on what date and whether you want to stay one or two weeks. Early on, we digitised our travel offers, now we are digitising the entire travel agency.” Patrik continues: “with Sembo you will be able to book your trips and include everything from ferries, flights, accommodation and activities and if your needs change, so can your trip itinerary. It’s really a one stop shop.”

The new Sembo solution that is about to be launched will also allow you to book combinations of trips and activities that cannot be found elsewhere, ensuring that your adventures are truly one-of-a-kind. It will also keep you updated on the total cost of the entire trip, including activities, at all times for you to effortlessly compare various days and select the most budget-friendly option for your trip. It is an intuitive tool that lets you drag and drop any part of the trip and you can change dates, locations or number of days instantly.

“The new Sembo will not only allow you to find, plan and book the trip. You will also be able to share it with your friends and gain remunerations and bonus points when they book the same trip or some of the activities that you have suggested,” says Andreas. “For small business operators, this will be an opportunity to create their own specialised trip using Sembo and share them with friends and clients just as easily as they would share a playlist on Spotify. We foresee many of them offering their own home parties to present carefully curated tours, just like we have seen Tupperware gatherings in the past.”

GREATEST DEVELOPERS ON BOARD

The new platform and the investments needed were presented to the Stena Line Board in 2021 and gained great interest. Thanks to the innovative spirit of Stena Line, the Sembo team got a go-ahead and in the last year and a half they have searched for the greatest developers and UX specialists on the market. Some of the best IT talents within the travel industry can be found in Palma de Mallorca, and the team decided to set up an office there as well as one in Wroclaw, Poland, which is also known for its tech industry. Since then, the internal IT organisation at Sembo has grown to over 70 people.

Julien Gillet was one of the first developers on the new platform. “I started out as an intern and found it very exciting to work with something that nobody has done before. At Sembo, you have creative freedom and you are encouraged to share your ideas,” he explains. “During Covid, our team was smaller and I was allowed a great deal of responsibility and that led to personal development for me as well.”

One of Julien’s more recent colleagues, Irene Vera, joined the team last year. Irene and her team put together and offer dream trips to suggest to consumers what they can do when on holiday. “We get many new people onboard in our teams and we have a great team spirit. I also feel that we get better support at Sembo than I have experienced at other companies,” she states. “We’re working closer together and collaborating more and that leads to better solutions and quicker releases,” she continues.

PHENOMENAL INTEREST

More than 20 million searches each day indicate a phenomenal interest in the new site. Early customer feedback also holds promise for the product’s potential, and the management team is preparing to scale the business.

“Our owners provide us with the financial strength required. Still, they allow us to maintain the start-up mentality and agility needed,” concludes Andreas. “Every day we compete with the largest players in the market, but our speed of execution and continuous dialogue with our users will enable us to go global sooner rather than later.”

It is a completely remodeled, innovative building for Stena coworking in Stockholm, with shared offices for the three companies where the doors are always open to colleagues from other parts of the Stena Sphere for working while in the capital or to come by for a visit.

The idea came up at Stena Fastigheter’s previous office building, which was also centrally located just a few 100 meters from the current offices, where people from other parts of the Stena Sphere could book meeting rooms or just have a place to land between meetings in Stockholm.

The Hägern Stora 16 building, also known as Klarahuset, adjoins Sergels torg, the main square in central Stockholm. It is a fascinating building with plenty of history that Stena Fastigheter has had to take into account and safeguard when remodeling.

ABOUT THE BUILDING

One of the four facades which fronts Drottninggatan was originally on another building at Regeringsgatan 9. The building features Stockholm’s first curtain wall facade. A curtain wall facade is a construction much like a curtain, positioned in front of a building’s frame.

The building won the Kasper Salin Prize in 1990.

The original floors and luminaires in the small bay windows have been preserved. The meeting rooms with their white wall sections are also original. They have been taken down and carefully refurbished. The windowpanes on the other hand, have been replaced to comply with today’s sound classification requirements. The windowsills are original and have been carefully preserved. The old meets the new with new radiator covers – designed to match the windowsills.

Office colors and shapes relate to the building’s style, such as the orange glazed sections facing the stairwells. The glass block wall matches the stairwell materials.

One of the tables inside Stena Recycling’s section is made of recycled nylon socks.

All external meeting rooms are named using typical Stockholm slang.

“Our residential and commercial tenants are used to shopping online and booking things like hairdressing appointments online,” says Cecilia Fredholm Vaarning, Head of Sustainable Business at Stena Fastigheter.

“With this in mind, we set out to create a solution for improved digital service. In 2022, we launched an updated customer portal, a new chat function and an in-house digital customer center. Just over a year later, it’s nice seeing how much our digital service is appreciated. For example, our chat function has been rated 4.5 out of 5 by our customers.”

IMPROVED DIGITAL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

In recent years, Stena Fastigheter has been on a major digital journey to strengthen accessibility for its customers, making it easier for them in their everyday lives. Among other things, the My Pages customer portal has been improved in several steps:

• Right information at the right time:
  At My Pages, the customers can find answers to the most common questions based on where they are on their customer journey. Is a customer moving? If so, it gives them access to information that is relevant at that stage.
• Matters of all kinds,
  including contact with Stena Fastigheter, can now be handled via My Pages. Previously, only problems could be reported there.
• Digital dialog and faster processing:
  Once a case is created, customers can begin a dialog for the current case at My Pages with a Stena Fastigheter staff member. In this way, email conversations on individual computers can be avoided. This has several advantages for both customers and Stena Fastigheter. For example, a staff member can easily take over a case when a colleague is sick or on leave.
• Chat:
  The company now has a chat function, which is visible both at My Pages and at stenafastigheter.se, where Stena Fastigheter’s newly established customer center responds to customers’ questions.

IN-HOUSE CUSTOMER CENTERS – AND NEW WAYS OF WORKING

In 2022, Stena Fastigheter also brought home its customer service, which had been previously outsourced to an external company. A strategic decision to work even more proactively with digital services.

“Our customers can now contact us via My Pages, chat and phone,” says Cecilia Fredholm Vaarning “We measure and follow up, and work proactively to ensure that customers get the best possible service. The number of calls to our switchboard has been halved in one year, while our colleagues at the switchboard can now close more cases at the first contact with our customers, as they know the business.”

• Headoffice: Purmerend, Netherlands
• CEO: Hans Nilsson
• 30 own offices world wide
• Agents in more than 50 countries
• 300 employees
• Turnover: MEUR 250
• 2 liner services
• 25 trade lines
• NMT Shipping is a company within the Stena AB group. It was acquired in 2019.

Contributing companies are Stena AB, Stena Line, Stena Fastigheter, Stena Group IT, Stena Teknik, Stena Rederi HR, Northern Marine Group, Ballingslöv, Envac and Blomsterlandet.

Frida Torstensson, Sustainability Manager, Stena AB said: “Sustainability month is a great initiative where we use the strength of being a large group to create awareness of sustainability. Sustainability is key to futureproof our businesses and to continue to stay relevant in the future. I encourage all Stena AB employees to take the opportunity to be inspired, to learn from each other and take action during October.”

All the events in October 2023.

How Northern Marine contributes to society through its operations is one of four focus areas in its Environmental, Social and Governance programme.

With a hugely diverse and multinational workforce, Northern Marine recruits seafarers from over 40 countries, with The Philippines and India as major crewing hubs.

Northern Marine’s team in The Philippines has reinforced its social engagement with seafarers on leave and their families. A range of events have been hosted across the country in the past year, inviting hundreds of guests to enjoy hospitality, learn more about company developments and be appreciated.

Euan Barlow, Northern Marine’s representative in the Philippines is working closely with Magsaysay, the in-country partner crewing agency.

He said: “In The Philippines Northern Marine has a long history of social engagement with families of our colleagues at sea but the Covid-19 pandemic curtailed this activity for an extended period and over the past year we have made a sustained and concerted effort to invite families to spend more time with us in an effort to show our appreciation and ensure they are as informed about our company activity as they want to be.

“We have tried to offer a variety of occasions with larger scale events featuring live entertainment and small-scale intimate dinners in the hope there will be something for everyone to enjoy. We are very grateful to those who have attended and look forward to upcoming events.”

Jetro Rodriguez, 3rd Officer, attended an event in Cavite, Philippines with his family.

He said: “My family had a great and wonderful time during the event. Games, prizes, and food were the highlight of the night. I was amazed by the company and team management for their  great efforts to make this event hugely successful. Seeing my other colleagues and everyone united on this day was the best thing. Thank you NMM Family.”

As well as families, a selection of new Filipino cadets was invited to events to understand and experience the family atmosphere of Northern Marine.

In Goa, Northern Marine Management India invited family members to a Crew Seminar which took place in a holiday resort. Activities for families included a fun culinary class with experienced chefs. 

Captain Pinson Correya, a Master onboard Stena Bulk’s IMOIIMAX fleet attended the event.

He said: “A seminar like this gives us that opportune moment to interact and mingle with each other more freely. For me, it was great to meet up and get together with the officers whom I have sailed with, the ones I met for the first time and also have our families meet each other. I believe such interactions definitely change the equation between people and enhance the quality of work environment.”

Northern Marine hosts crew seminars in various locations across Europe and endeavours to invite partners or family members when the capacity of the selected venue permits. 

Software, whether it is an operating system, web browser, application, or mobile app, is inherently complex. As such, it is difficult for the software engineers to overlook all possible ways to compromise the security of software at any given time.

To further understand vulnerabilities in software you can think of your own house, or apartment. Naturally, you protect your home by locking the front door. Perhaps you have a burglar alarm, and maybe even you have a large dog guarding your house. In this case, there can be several vulnerabilities. Maybe your front lock is old and outdated and can easily be picked by a burglar. The alarm you installed might not be connected to a security operations center. Your dog could be the friendliest dog in the world and when offered a couple of dog treats, he might be anyone’s friend.

In addition, there might be other ways to enter your home. Perhaps through a window, or even the chimney? As you can see, even though you have thought about security, there are vulnerabilities in your home.

When you understand this and find vulnerabilities, you can fix them. You could change the lock, install locks on your windows, connect your alarm system to an operations center and train your dog to bark loudly when any stranger approaches. In the world of software, this fixing of vulnerabilities is called patching.

Since the adversaries constantly look for ways to enter computer systems, software engineers constantly look for vulnerabilities and develop patches. Patches are released based on the criticality of the vulnerability. Normally they are deployed in a regular interval, but sometimes they are released quite urgently.

In any case, it is always important to apply these patches whenever they are released. If you wait and postpone the software updates the chance that the adversaries utilize the vulnerabilities will increase.

So, whenever you are prompted to apply security updates, please do so as soon as possible. This applies to both your work PC, work mobile, tablet, but also to any other device you own. Modern operating systems are monitoring and downloading patches for deployment, but for some types of equipment – such as your home sound system – you might need to manually check for updates.

Future fuels is a burning topic in the maritime industry today, and with the IMO releasing their MEPC 80 targets (net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping close to 2050), it is as pressing as ever to select a strategy and invest in the next energy carriers to replace fossil based fuels.

The options are many, and they all come with pros and cons related to sustainability, cost, availability and more. To help us navigate the different solutions, Stena Teknik invited representa-tives of four of the most frequently discussed solutions to participate in a debate in Glasgow. A recording of the panel debate is now available in full on the intranet, along with short videos containing introductions to each of the solutions represented in the debate – methanol, batteries electrification, nuclear power and biofuels. We hope that you will find the debate as educational as we did!

FACTS

• Battery electrification is part of both the short- and long-term pathway for the decarbonization of shipping. Stena operates several short sea vessels, a large number of these vessels can be fully electrified in the future.
• Methanol burns cleaner compared to conventional fuel and, if produced from renewable sources, shows promise as a sustainable future fuel for shipping.
• The deep-sea segment accounts for the majority of emissions in shipping. Nuclear power, already used at sea for more than 60 years, could effectively render this segment of the fleet emission free.
• Biofuels, fuels derived from bio-mass, is already available today in impactful amounts for shipping and does not require any expensive conversions of existing fleet. The versatility of pathways for biofuel production shows promise and may enable it to be part of the long term solution.

HOW CAN ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS ADDRESS CHALLENGES IN TODAY’S ELECTRICITY GRIDS?

Modern electricity grids can become costly and vulnerable when relying solely on centralised energy sources like nuclear power plants. Integrating energy storage systems can decentralise and stabilise the grid, leading to enhanced efficiency and reliability.

WHAT ARE THE KEY COMPONENTS AND BENEFITS OF BATTERYLOOP’S ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM?

Our energy storage system involves both new and used batteries from various electric vehicles. These batteries, controlled through a digital platform, optimise charging and discharging. The system offers substantial potential in sectors like real estate, logistics, and ports. For instance, it can reduce electricity costs and enhance self-sufficiency in buildings by charging during low-demand periods and assisting the grid during peak hours.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE?

The challenge is to develop easy-to-use software that is easy to scale, test and maintain, regardless of the hardware platform. The software should be static in its core but flexible in its integrations as there will most likely be many different batteries in our systems in the future.

“You could choose from several different distances, and we’ve chosen the longest at 183 kilometers where you run through 13 valleys and over as many peaks,” says Fredrik Larsson, Application Specialist at Stena Group IT. “This includes dealing with an elevation profile of 7,000 meters. The maximum time for the race is 45 hours.”

“We expect to see two sunsets and at least one sunrise, and hope to finish within 30 to 35 hours,” says David Muir, Business Value Lead at Stena Group IT.

About a hundred runners start the 13 Valleys Ultra and there is a food station in each valley. Just after halfway through the race there is a drop station, where participants have access to a ‘drop bag’ with personal items. The bag can contain food, candy, a change of clothes, shoes and maybe some uplifting instructions written by the runners themselves. Ultra running is not about getting to the finish line the fastest; it is about getting to the finish line at all. Besides the physical aspect – that your body has to cope with the effort for so many hours – it is about the psychological aspects as well. You have to want to keep running when things are toughest, while your whole body is telling you to give it up. So how do you cope with such a huge challenge?

“In addition to all the training, we all have different mental strategies,” David says. “I sometimes visualise my children and running buddies and how they look when they’re running. I’m a bit nerdy when it comes to analysing other people’s strides, but somehow it helps me keep moving.”

“I analyse the course in advance and then work with milestones,” Fredrik says. “I visualise the finish line so that I can pull up that image during the race. And then I’ve decided in advance how many kilometers I can run before having a piece of candy or other treat. Sometimes I write down different things on a note that I put in my bag at the drop station. When I get to the station and read what I wrote to myself, I get new energy.”

“I work with milestones too, but then I also think about things that have nothing to do with the race. My girlfriend Annelie or my children,” says Daniel Theander, Digital Communication Manager, Stena Rederi. “This race has 13 different stations, which is quite luxurious considering the context. Normally there are a lot less, so this is a big positive and will hopefully give me energy both before and during the race.”

In addition to the drop bag with a change of clothes and snacks available at the feed stations, runners must carry several other things in their running vests throughout the race. Some are mandatory such as a first aid kit, fluids and nourishment, but you also need gloves, a hat, extra warm layers, a headlamp, batteries, a smartphone and a map. That some things are mandatory also has to do with the fact that you must always be prepared to assist another runner if the need should arise.

“This is a friendly sport and since only the elite focus on getting a fast time, the rest of us can focus on helping each other finish,” Fredrik says. “It’s not a given that the three of us will be running together during the race, but you meet other people along the way who are keeping the same pace as you who you can talk to.”

But no matter how much coffee, chips and sweets are provided during the race, you still have 183 kilometers and 7 000m of climbing to complete. So how does the body cope with the strain and how do you prepare for this kind of challenge?

“The three of us run almost every day, and during the course of a week we’ll average between 70 and 100 kilometers,” says David. “Now that we’re coming up on such a long race, we adapt our training and halve the volume to around 50 kilometers the week before. I like to focus on strength and mobility exercises, too.”

“You can certainly get through an ultra race without having trained for all that many years, but it’s not optimal and the risk of injury would be considerable,” Fredrik says. “The most common is to start with running half- and full marathons and then increase that distance over time. Before a race I focus more on mobility and try to sleep eight hours a night.”

“Otherwise, we eat and live as usual,” says Daniel. “I run every day and cut down on my weekly distance in the weeks before. What is most stressful for me is getting enough sleep and the risk of catching a cold.”

In addition to daily training, all three have other major commitments to running.

“We’ve started the Stena Community Run where anyone who wants can join in and run together during our lunch break on Tuesdays,” says Daniel, who also serves as a guide runner for people with visual impairments. “We have a Teams group where we can reach out to anyone who is interested, and we’re now about 70 people in the group.”

“The challenge with the Stena Community Run is to get our colleagues to understand that we don’t run these lunch sessions at full speed – we run as a group,” Fredrik says, who is also a running coach. “The idea is that everyone should be able to participate.”

David and Daniel are also engaged in Glädjeknuff, an initiative which promotes inclusivity where children with functional variations can experience running in the seat of a Joëlette – a fast-moving, terrain-adapted, specialized single-wheel wheelchair that is pulled, pushed and carried by several runners.

“We would love it if more of our colleagues at Stena took the opportunity to join our lunchtime Community Runs,” says Fredrik. “David, Fredrik and myself have a lot of combined experience and are here to answer any questions. But running together is our main focus. The Community Run is a perfect way to boost your energy. So take the opportunity and join in!”

You are probably wondering what people value most about this kind of challenge.

“When you’ve overcome a challenge like this, there’s not much you feel you can’t handle,” says Daniel. “You’ve hit the bottom, pulled yourself together and come out on the other side. So, when faced with other challenging situations in life, those feel quite easy.”

“It’s important to know your body, to recognize if something just hurts, or if you’ve actually suffered an injury and have to stop. Otherwise, you just have to keep pushing,” says David. “Somewhere between 40 to 70 kilometers my brain starts looking for excuses to stop because it knows what lies ahead, but I’ve learned that the best experiences are on the other side of my comfort zone.”

“You get to experience nature in a way that is almost impossible otherwise, but just like Daniel says, it puts things in perspective. Everything else is easy in comparison,” Fredrik concludes.