What a busy day it was today! We had our last 3 site visits. We started off the morning at Bernhardt Shulte’s BSM Marine Training Center in Cyprus. They provide training for seafarers under the government of Cyprus, and their certifications are accepted all around the world. Being a seafarer involves mapping the route, monitoring the ship, and adjusting when needed. They teach people equipment and vessel specific training, simulation training, and practical training. We toured all of their high tech simulation rooms which can be programmed to many different environmental settings because being a seafarer involves safely navigating every dangerous situation. One thing that stood out to me was their mental health and wellbeing director being so high up in the company. Being a seafarer can be hard when you are out at sea and away from family, so it is good the company has this resource. Our next step was the Columbia group which works in ship management. In the control room, they monitor vessels which includes speed, location, and route and work to optimize efficiency because time is money. Ship management also involves avoiding danger, such as piracy, and focusing on emissions and compliance with government regulations. Ship management involves a lot of data analytics too. The Columbia group is the leading global integrated and digitalized maritime logistics, leisure, and energy service. They even have restaurants and resorts now and focus on sustainable energy initiatives, streamlining the supply chain, empowering businesses, being a dynamic center of innovation, and commitment and professionalism. Finally, we finished off at Medochemie which is a pharmaceutical supplier. We got to learn about their supply chain and even tour their warehouse. Now we have our farewell dinner! I am so sad tomorrow is our last day, but it has been a great and rewarding trip so far.
