The NELSON project is not driven by technological development alone. While the project work is coordinated and delivered by 10 consortium partners, the achievement of its objectives relies on close collaboration with a broad range of external stakeholders. Their involvement ensures that the project outcomes are realistic, relevant, and aligned with real-world maritime operations.
From the early stages of the project, stakeholder activities have been recognised as a key success factor. On a strategic level, stakeholder input supports informed decision-making and strengthens the long-term impact of the project. On a practical level, several milestones and deliverables directly depend on stakeholder contributions.
“Stakeholder activities have been known to form a key area from the very beginning. On a higher level, stakeholders’ input is used to support informed decision-making and long-term impact. On a concrete work level, several milestones and deliverables depend on their input,” shares Hanna Kajander, Project Manager and coordinator of the NELSON consortium at Fintraffic Vessel Traffic Services.
NELSON’s key external stakeholder groups include the remote pilotage–related Advisory Board and working group, maritime authorities, maritime operators and subject-matter experts, and the general public. In addition, subcontractors play an important role in supporting the achievement of the project’s technical and operational goals.
Practical Knowledge From Maritime Experts
According to Kajander, each stakeholder group contributes a unique perspective that helps shape the project and supports the successful delivery of its outcomes.
For example, one of NELSON’s key objectives is to define remote pilotage procedures and technical requirements and to develop new technical solutions which support remote operations. In parallel, the project will carry out comprehensive risk and cost–benefit analyses in line with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Formal Safety Assessment (FSA) methodology.
"Close stakeholder engagement is essential to ensure regulatory alignment, operational realism, and safety acceptance. Stakeholder input also helps validate the developed solutions being credible, feasible, and applicable in real-world maritime environments," Kajander notes.
Engagement with maritime experts provides practical, experience-based knowledge that strengthens the quality and realism of project outcomes. Their input complements technical development and helps identify operational considerations that may not be evident from a purely technical perspective.
Ongoing Dialogue and Future Activities
Stakeholder engagement in NELSON is continuous – for a good reason.
“Continuous dialogue reduces the risk of misalignment between project outputs and real-world implementation conditions, particularly in areas such as remote pilotage, digital services, and cross-border operations,” Kajander explains.
The project has already organised several workshops with an Advisory Group and a dedicated stakeholder event. Stakeholder activities will continue throughout the project lifecycle, including through regular newsletters published approximately every six months. The next conference is also already on the calendar: Remote Pilotage Days 2026 in Helsinki will be organised by Finnpilot Pilotage on 16–17 September 2026 – so mark your calendar and stay tuned!
The NELSON project develops next-generation maritime traffic management and pilotage concepts, that contribute to safer, smarter, and more sustainable maritime transport in Europe and beyond. More information about the NELSON project is available on the NELSON project’s website.
Disclaimer: This article is produced as part of the NELSON project, co-funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed herein are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
