Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 14 July 2014 – JRC and Alphatron Marine are pleased to announce the capability to offer the full range of ECDIS training, both generic and type specific. Required for full certification for captains and officers onboard a ship, these courses totally complement a fully implemented ECDIS system.

ECDIS was made mandatory for most ships under a rollout program beginning in July 2012 and with four more deadlines coming in annually every 1 July from 2015 through to 2018, the enormous task of retrofitting all existing vessels really gets under way. This is the biggest challenge yet for ECDIS providers.

The generic training is given at our European headquarters in Rotterdam under the supervision of specialist and approved ECDIS trainers. A JRC type specific training can take place on board worldwide, at our office or at a location of choice in combination with our mobile classroom.

In addition, JRC is working globally with over 50 dedicated training establishments and distributors that provide JRC generic and type specific training spread across 6 continents and 30+ countries. Close to 13,000 bridge officers have passed the JRC TST course to date. Our website includes all approved ECDIS training locations.

Even after the carriage requirement has been effected by all specified vessels, JRC’s support philosophy and global service network will always be at the ship owner’s disposal for many years to come. With this global network of over 1000 JRC trained engineers in more than 50 countries and an inventory of 25,000 spares, JRC and Alphatron Marine will be able to provide support 24-hours a day.

JRC is a world leading marine electronics producer specializing in the design and manufacture of industry compliant products. Alphatron Marine is a world renowned supplier of integrated bridge solutions and manufacturer of unique complementary products to the JRC portfolio. With the full support of Centers of Excellence in Tokyo, Rotterdam, Singapore and Houston, the combined synergies bring quality and innovation to owners, operators and shipyards, redefining the future of ocean navigation.