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NASH Maritime, part of APEM Group, is proud to have reached the semi-finals of the prestigious PIER71™ Smart Port Challenge 2025, competing in the Smart Shipping category.
This achievement marks a milestone in the company’s efforts in using the latest technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI), to enhance safety and security for port authorities around the world.
PIER71™ Smart Port Challenge 2025
The annual Smart Port Challenge, hosted by PIER71™ and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, attracts startups and scaleups with transformative, technology-driven solutions for the maritime industry. In 2025, the competition received hundreds of applications and shortlisted participants joined a global 10-week SPC Accelerate programme.
Introducing SEAIT: AI‑Powered Vessel Detection
NASH Maritime’s standout innovation is SEAIT (Sea-borne Entity AI Toolkit), an AI platform that transforms existing port CCTV systems into a cutting-edge vessel detection tool. SEAIT identifies and categorises vessels, especially those without AIS, addressing critical challenges related to safety, security, and operational visibility.
SEAIT by NASH Maritime: AI-Powered Vessel Detection | PIER71 Smart Port Challenge Pitch
Key capabilities include:
- AI-powered identification and classification of vessels via CCTV
- Integration with existing surveillance infrastructure
- Automated daily traffic reporting
- Data capture for planning, analytics, and compliance
- Decision support tools for port control teams
- Independent peer-review and feasibility services
- Stakeholder engagement and environmental analysis
“AI Isn’t a Buzzword…”: Delivering Real‑World Solutions
NASH Maritime distils years of maritime expertise into software solutions that tackle complex challenges, from constraint analysis to safety management. SEAIT exemplifies this approach, offering a scalable, cost-effective platform that reduces reliance on manual tracking and fills data gaps left by radar and AIS-only systems.
Chris Hutchings and Richard Marlow at the PIER71 semi finals in Singapore
Project Highlight: Thames Tideway Tunnel
One of SEAIT’s proof-of-concept successes occurred during work on the Thames Tideway Tunnel project in London. The system was deployed at five sites of concern for small boat navigation safety to classify recreational vessels, including dinghies, kayaks, and rowers. Over 7,000 vessel images were used to fine-tune its AI model, enabling recognition of up to 20 vessel types. With noted accuracy levels of 95%, SEAIT recorded more than 110,000 vessel movements and demonstrated real-world precision and reliability.
Richard Marlow , Principal Consultant - NASH Maritime
Heading to Singapore’s Great Circle Event
During the first week of November, NASH Maritime’s team, Richard Marlow and Chris Hutchings, presented SEAIT to an audience of over 400 tech investors and maritime professionals at PIER71™’s Great Circle finals in Singapore. The pitch focused on how SEAIT converts CCTV feeds into actionable traffic data, without using radar or AIS, empowering ports with real-time situational awareness.
“We’re thrilled to have reached the semi-finals of PIER71™ 2025. SEAIT captures our mission to combine maritime domain expertise with AI technologies that enhance port safety, planning and compliance.”
— Richard Marlow, Principal Consultant, NASH Maritime
As part of APEM Group, NASH Maritime enhances the Group’s digital and technical capabilities across ports, harbours, offshore wind, and marine infrastructure operations.
Don’t let unidentified traffic go unseen. If your port faces similar challenges, the team is ready to demonstrate SEAIT and explore deployment.
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