Zeabuz: emission-free mobility on waterways

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Climate crisis may give rise to a new European industrial adventure

Serial entrepreneurs and industry experts join forces to build new emission free mobility solutions for the world’s fast growing cities

Trondheim, 09.12.2019:

The world is increasingly urbanized and most cities are located in coastal areas or along
waterways. This requires that new transport solutions must be cost-effective, emission-free and
will have to use the waterways. NTNU is now spinning out a new company, Zeabuz that will build
mobility solutions on top of world-leading technology expertise. Former DNV GL top executive
Bjørn K. Haugland and three NTNU professors with long industrial and entrepreneurial experience
are part of the team.

«Norway has a complete maritime cluster and together with NTNU's world-leading expertise in
digitalisation, automation and autonomy, we can create a new industrial adventure,» says
Haugland, CEO of «Skift Business Climate Leaders» and chairman of the new company.
The climate crisis means that there will be great demand for smart, climate-friendly mobility
solutions worldwide. NTNU has been researching ship control and autonomy for many years, and
the Norwegian industrial adventure concerning dynamic positioning of ships started at NTNU.
Today, this has given rise to a multimillion dollar industry centered in Norway.

Zeabuz will sell autonomous mobility services to both cities and settlements along the coast, and
will ally with strong Norwegian and international partners in designing and building the ferries
themselves. The Zeabuz ferries will be small, electric and on-demand. "Autonomy fits like a glove
with electric ferries. This enables better control, optimal operation, safety and maintenance, ”says
Asgeir J. Sørensen, director of NTNU's research center on autonomous maritime operations, NTNU
AMOS.

«Our autonomy solution is world-leading and can enable self-driving ferries that safely maneuver
among other boats, dock to the quay by themselves and handle passengers safely. We work with
DNV GL, the Norwegian Coastal Administration and the Norwegian Maritime Directorate to test
two prototypes in Trondheim. The unique technology has been developed at NTNU and will be
made available to the company,» says Susanne Jäschke, interim CEO of the company.

The new company is established by NTNU through NTNU Technology Transfer AS, a number of NTNU
researchers and Bjørn K. Haugland. Among the NTNU researchers are the serial entrepreneurs Asgeir
J. Sørensen (Marine Cybernetics, Ecotone, Eelume), Tor Arne Johansen (Marine Cybernetics, Scout
Drone Inspection, UBIQ Aerospace) and Egil Eide (3D radar). The company originates from NTNU
AMOS and the departments of Marine Technology, Engineering Cybernetics and Electronic Systems
and has received key support from the Norwegian Research Council’s program FORNY as well as
NTNU Discovery. NTNU Technology Transfer has been responsible for business development and
project management.

Zeabuz is now seeking partners and talent who want to join the team and enable emission-free
mobility on waterways.

Contact:

Susanne Jäschke, CEO Zeabuz AS, susanne.jaschke@zeabuz.com, phone: +47 936 58 814
or
Bjørn K. Haugland, Chairman Zeabuz AS, bjorn@skiftnorge.no, phone: + 47 976 87 315

For more information:

www.zeabuz.com