Minister Herbert of Economic Affairs impressed by Dirkzwager and the renewed emergency button

Royal Dirkzwager officially launched the upgraded Ship Security Alert Services (SSAS) module on Monday, May 11. The system is an emergency alert service for crew members in the event of an immediate threat. Minister Heleen Herbert of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy attended the official launch of the module.

It is certainly no coincidence that the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy was the one to officially launch the emergency alert system at Dirkzwager. After all, business continuity during emergency situations is a key issue for the government. That is why the ministry is launching the “Think Ahead” campaign on Monday, aimed at raising awareness among companies about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. What do you do as a business if the power goes out, the internet fails and all communication is lost?

Especially now that geopolitical tensions, hybrid threats and cyberattacks have become part of everyday reality, it is important for companies to be aware of their vulnerabilities. Businesses that depend on a single supplier, one data centre or one energy source are vulnerable to events that cannot be predicted, the government says.

“It is important for companies to think about these scenarios and be well prepared; that starts with creating a contingency plan. Too often, businesses only start addressing these issues once something has already gone wrong,” Herbert said.

Natural phenomena, technical failures or hostile actions: businesses are highly dependent on all kinds of processes,” Herbert said. “Every entrepreneur, including those in SMEs, should ask themselves what happens if the power goes out, the internet fails or a supplier collapses. For their own operations and for their customers. A technical backup plan alone is not enough; you also need a contingency plan for the moment the world looks different tomorrow.”

Russian cyberattack

According to the company itself, Royal Dirkzwager is a good example of resilience. When the company was acquired by CEO Joan Blaas three and a half years ago, it was hit shortly afterwards by a Russian cyberattack. As a maritime service provider, the company is considered part of critical infrastructure, prompting immediate action by the National Cyber Security Centre and other specialist organisations. It took three weeks before the platform was operational again. “The unexpected may come knocking sooner or later, and a company must be able to shut that door itself,” is Dirkzwager’s philosophy.

The SSAS security system allows a ship’s crew to send a silent, real-time alert in emergency situations, such as piracy, terrorism or other immediate threats. The system is intended for vessels with a gross tonnage exceeding 500 tonnes. Dirkzwager forwards the alerts to both the relevant authorities and the vessel’s shipping company.

Emergency situations

“Don’t wait to address overdue maintenance; make sure your affairs are in order. We had already started implementing improvements, but events overtook us,” Blaas explained.

The completion of the new SSAS emergency alert system also marks the end of a three-year reconstruction period for the company — not only of the organisation itself, but especially of its IT infrastructure and software. During that period, the Ship2Port system was developed. The platform tracks more than 200,000 vessels in real time and is used by companies operating in the ports of Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Antwerp.

“Good precautionary measures, such as additional emergency provisions in the event of power outages, naturally involve costs and serve as a form of insurance in case things go wrong,” Blaas said.

“When a company turns 150, it is sometimes the right moment to take a thorough look at everything. We have used the past three years to rebuild a solid foundation. That foundation is now in place, we are leaving a turbulent period behind us and are ready for further growth of our services and international expansion.