4 Apr 2023

In September 2022, VSTEP equipped the first training centre of Brabo Group in Belgium with cutting-edge NAUTIS simulators.

VSTEP’s mission to enable learning through simulation technology is at the forefront of this collaboration, thereby allowing Brabo Group to train their crew and skippers from other organisations for safe and precise ship piloting and mooring.

Brabo Group and VSTEP’s Collaboration

In collaboration with VSTEP, Brabo Group – a Belgium-based company that specialises in the safe piloting, mooring and unmooring of ships – has become the first Belgian customer to purchase a complete suite of turnkey solutions from VSTEP.

VSTEP is proud to have facilitated this milestone for the Brabo Group with the use of NAUTIS simulators

The company required its own training centre to educate not only its mooring boat skippers, but also skippers and crew from other organisations.

By doing so, Brabo Group aims to pioneer inland education in the Port of Antwerp area, where no course currently exists to educate inland skippers. VSTEP is proud to have facilitated this milestone for the Brabo Group with the use of VSTEP’s NAUTIS simulators.

VSTEP’s NAUTIS simulators

Herman Van Driessche, Brabo Group’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), says: “VSTEP helped us find the most feasible solution for the training needs we have, offering us a lot of flexibility in their approach.

Herman Van Driessche adds, “Upon signing the agreement, VSTEP produced the renders that answer our exact needs and enable us to receive a clearer picture of what we will have installed in the end. We look forward to becoming users of VSTEP’s solutions and experiencing firsthand the true-to-life graphics that NAUTIS is known for.

Helping solve Belgium’s inland waterways challenges

Fabian van den Berg, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at VSTEP Simulation, said “At VSTEP, we are proud that we can contribute further to the inland waterways education and training challenges in Belgium. The inland waterways are facing – like other industries – challenging objectives, such as shortage in personnel and more complex operations, due to, for instance, changing water levels in the inland waterways.

Fabian van den Berg adds, “VSTEP is ready to assist the industry with their challenges. Therefore, it is an accomplishment for VSTEP, as innovator in the maritime simulation domain, to welcome Brabo Group to our customer family and being chosen by this institution for our customer-orientation and quality of our solutions.

VSTEP to supply Brabo Group with the right set of solutions

To reach their goals, Brabo invests in constructing dedicated spaces with each a different purpose

VSTEP will supply Brabo Group the right set of solutions. To reach their goals, Brabo invests in constructing dedicated spaces with each a different purpose. To train Brabo Group’s crew on the complex situation on Antwerp’s inland waterways, the company invests in a Vessel Handling Simulator, which is assisted by a Radar Simulator.

This allows the professionals to be more focused on certain aspects of the train, which could vessel handling and radar training. Debriefing is the key for learning. By having a dedicated debriefing space, the professionals are able to understand what they could have done better.

Brabo Group to lead the way in inland education in Belgium

VSTEP is thrilled that the purchase of NAUTIS simulators will help Brabo Group lead the way in inland education in Belgium. Another milestone since VSTEP was recognised in 2018, as the first supplier of CESNI compliant simulators for the inland waterway domain.

The company has delivered since this recognition over 30 simulator solutions for inland waterway education in mainly the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Paraguay.