11/25/2024
Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency
The Baltic Sea ice situation clearly and reliably – we redesigned the baltice.org website
In winter, the ice situation on the Baltic Sea constantly changes due to natural conditions and the work of icebreakers. Baltice.org is the official website of the Baltic Icebreaking Management (BIM) service, providing up-to-date information on icebreaking operations, ice and weather conditions, and traffic situations.
The Baltice.org website offers continuously updated information in an easy-to-understand format: maps, text documents, and printable materials.
– Icebreaking services are provided during the winter season for commercial vessels arriving in Finland from around the world. In addition to crucial information on assistance restrictions and ice conditions, the website provides ice route maps and guidance to support safe navigation, explains Mika Nyrhilä, the system’s manager from Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.
Weasel Software redesigned the website in collaboration with the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency and the Swedish Maritime Administration (Sjöfartsverket). The service is free, open to everyone, and available in English.
– The collaboration with Weasel Software in developing the site has been professional, and their expertise in various aspects of implementation has been excellent, Nyrhilä praises.
Redesigned, user-friendly service
The Baltice.org service is open to everyone and provides free data. It is primarily used by ship agents, who benefit from the timely situational awareness the site offers regarding winter navigation and icebreaking assistance. This information is essential for coordinating schedules with other port operations.
– We conceptualized the service’s needs and usability together with the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, Sjöfartsverket, and ship agents using a service design approach. A prototype of the service was first created, followed by its implementation as a modern, user-friendly website optimized for mobile users. The service is provided to clients as an easily maintainable cloud service through AWS (Amazon Web Services), explains Robert Sundell, Project Manager at Weasel Software.
The goal of the service is to expand awareness of winter navigation and the prevailing conditions in the region during the winter season. For countries bordering the Baltic Sea, especially Finland and Sweden, efficient maritime transport during winter is vital for the economy, enabling Finland’s exports and imports throughout the year.
Pictures: Janne Pesonen
The collaboration with Weasel Software in developing the site has been professional, and their expertise in various aspects of implementation has been excellent.
Mika Nyrhilä
Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency
