VSTEP

01/09/2026

What does the future maritime workforce need to be ready for?

Yesterday, Tije Vos, CCO at VSTEP, joined the panel “People Power: Investing in People: The Future Maritime Workforce” at Mare Forum in Hamburg.

💬 One point that stood out
Maritime career progression is still largely measured through sea time. That can slow the development of a workforce the industry needs to move faster, especially as the skills required at sea continue to evolve.

⚓ What does that mean for training?
Every generation of seafarers has had to adapt. The question now is how we give the next generation enough opportunities to practise and build experience before they face these situations in real operations.

Which for us at VSTEP sits at the core of our mission. Through simulation, trainees can experience a wider range of situations than sea time alone can provide and keep building competence in a safe setting.

It was great to hear how others across the industry are thinking about the same challenges and to add our own perspective to the conversation. Thank you to everyone at the Mare Forum for a very enjoyable and insightful day!

27/08/2026

SMM is almost here, and we are ready for Hamburg 🚢

For four days, Stand B6.110 will be home to conversations about maritime learning, simulator technology, and how simulation can support maritime learning and training.

Whether you already work with VSTEP or are simply curious about what we do, come over and say hello. A question, an idea, or a shared interest is more than enough to start a conversation.

Let's meet: https://tinyurl.com/5asytmuh

📍 Stand B6.110
📅 1–4 September 2026

24/08/2026

We’re excited to have Ernst Mutgeert speaking at MARSIM 2026 about an idea that sits at the centre of how we design our software for instructors at VSTEP: 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀, 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴.

While running an exercise, instructors are observing trainees, managing the scenario, making decisions in real time, and preparing for the moments that matter in the debriefing. That creates a high mental load for the person behind the station.

At MARSIM, Ernst, UX Designer at VSTEP, will look at the NAUTIS ecosystem from the instructor’s perspective and share the thinking behind the design of the new instructor station.

A simulator is shaped by much more than what happens on screen. It takes people looking at the experience from every angle. Bringing those perspectives together is what allows us to keep pushing simulation forward, keeping learning at the centre of every decision.

Join Ernst at MARSIM for a closer look at the design behind NAUTIS, and how instructor needs shape the experience.

17/08/2026

The place where we work used to store bananas. 🍌 Now it helps train sailors, and we built almost all of it from materials that other buildings no longer needed.

Instead of designing the space first and then shopping for everything, we let the available materials lead the way. Together with , we designed around what we could reuse and ended up creating around 90% of the space from reclaimed materials. 🌱

We help sailors train more sustainably, without taking a vessel out on the water. So building our own office from reused materials felt like bringing that same thinking home. 🚢

Making the most of what’s already there is one of the ways we try to work more sustainably at VSTEP.💚

Read more about it (in Dutch) 👉
https://f.mtr.cool/vgficgfeuf

14/08/2026

Installed, tested and handed over ⚓

The Djibouti Coast Guard’s first NAUTIS Class A simulator is now ready for training.

Our team installed and tested the simulator on site in Djibouti before handing it over to the Coast Guard. With an instructor station and naval module, the setup gives officers the ability to train in realistic and flexible scenarios that strengthen safety and operational readiness.

The ambition behind the project was clear from the start. As Naval Commissioner Saad Ibrahim Ali put it:

“This simulator gives us the tools to train our people more effectively … We see this as the beginning of a long-term partnership …”

With the simulator now handed over and ready for training, we’re proud to continue that journey with the Djibouti Coast Guard.

Read the full story here: https://tinyurl.com/32rw5776

Discover how the Djibouti Coast Guard is strengthening maritime training, safety and operational readiness with its first NAUTIS Class A simulator.

13/08/2026

We’re heading to MARSIM 2026 ⚓

Maritime simulation keeps evolving, and MARSIM is a good place to compare notes, share ideas, and learn from others working on the same challenges.

We’ll be bringing our experience from developing the NAUTIS ecosystem and sharing some of what we’ve learned along the way.

We’ll also be contributing to the programme, with Ernst Mutgeert sharing our perspective on software designed around the instructor.

We’re looking forward to good conversations, fresh perspectives, and probably a few coffees along the way.

Attending? Come and say hello.

📍 Warnemünde, Germany
🗓️ 8–10 September 2026

10/08/2026

Ask three people at VSTEP what collaboration means, and you get three very different answers.

For Tije, it starts with an open conversation with customers. For Niamh, it lives in the back and forth of ideas. For Mariana, it can be as simple as lending a hand, watering the plants or putting the dishes away.

That range is exactly why collaboration matters so much to us. It shapes how we work with customers and partners, how different disciplines come together and how we treat one another day to day.

Sometimes it shapes a solution. Sometimes it sparks a better idea. Sometimes it is simply helping out.

It looks different every day. It matters every time. 🧡

04/08/2026

The world’s largest subsea rock installation vessel was recently commissioned in Rotterdam ⚓
But how do you train for a vessel that is so specialised?

Boskalis' Windpiper was christened in the Waalhaven ahead of its first assignment in northern Europe.

What makes a vessel like this interesting from a training perspective is not only its size, but the specific role it plays. Its large cargo capacity of 45,500 metric tons, conveyor system, inclined fallpipe, and offshore working profile all shape how the vessel operates.

For simulation training a good model needs to reflect the operational context behind the vessel, so instructors and trainees can work with scenarios that feel grounded in real maritime practice.

In NAUTIS, maritime professionals can train with a high-quality Windpiper model, developed for Boskalis, and bring this type of specialised offshore operation into a safe, controlled learning environment. It gives instructors a way to build relevant scenarios around real vessel types, while trainees can practise with a clearer connection to the work taking place at sea.

Take a look aboard the Windpiper: https://f.mtr.cool/feaoyzzpnz

03/08/2026

The countdown to SMM 2026 has started ⏳

Next month, the VSTEP team is heading to Hamburg to demonstrate how simulation can prepare people for evolving maritime operations.

Fewer Clicks. Better Teaching. That is the theme behind what we are bringing to SMM this year, reflecting our continued focus on enabling maritime training.

Find us at our booth to see how we're improving instructor control and advancing simulation for remote operator training, built to help the industry reskill for a sector that's growing fast and drawing serious investment.

Planning to attend? Reach out and let's plan a conversation!

📍 B6.110
🗓️ 1-4 September | Hamburg

28/07/2026

NAUTIS Home continues to grow with a new update 🎉

From operating a towboat with barges to navigating a familiar route with current, this release gives users more opportunities to experience more varied vessel handling.

In this update you will find:
✅ Sergeant Toby: A river towboat that can be operated independently or with barges. The two available variations let users experience how changes in length and weight affect vessel response.
✅ Flanking rudders: With main rudders behind the propellers and smaller flanking rudders positioned in front, Sergeant Toby introduces a different control setup during reversing manoeuvres.
✅ New Orleans: A new location along the Mississippi River, adding another inland navigation context to NAUTIS Home.
✅ Rhine Gorge with current: A familiar route now shaped by added current. Users must account for it and adapt their handling throughout the passage.

We are excited to develop NAUTIS Home so that each addition helps provide more realistic simulation training for desktop practice.

Release notes: https://f.mtr.cool/blfqgswkik
Updated development roadmap: https://f.mtr.cool/pennpdeiig