Unlocking the Value of Data to Weather the Storm

Leveraging Hong Kong’s maritime strengths, StormGeo empowers customers to make better business decisions in weather-sensitive operations through its deep domain expertise.

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our times. Using high-tech weather forecasting technology and analytics can efficiently help us mitigate risks and diminish carbon footprint. StormGeo, a Norwegian company, is a global provider of weather intelligence and decision support services, with leading solutions for shipping, oil and gas, renewable energy, onshore industries, and aviation. It established its Hong Kong office specialised in the shipping industry back in 2000 with an aim to strengthen its foothold in the Greater China region. Recently, it has scaled up its services and network, providing innovative solutions towards decarbonisation, and supporting clients in making informed, environmentally responsible business decisions.

A Robust Maritime Cluster

Hong Kong is an international maritime centre characterised by a solid presence of ship owners, cargo owners, and traders in the city, as well as its strengths in high value-added maritime services. Petty Leung, Managing Director of StormGeo Hong Kong office, stated, “The city’s robust maritime cluster provides comprehensive services ranging from ship management, ship financing, insurance and broking, to maritime law and arbitration. Its tenacious maritime tradition, with excellent shipping, maritime and port services, offers marvellous opportunities for the trading and logistics sector to flourish.”

According to Leung, Hong Kong has built a collaborative maritime ecosystem. She explained, “Our local shipping community is supportive and close-knit, expediting StormGeo’s growth. The government upholds Hong Kong’s maritime strengths, offering us customised services and nurturing talent through the Maritime and Aviation Training Fund; professional bodies and trade associations, such as the Hong Kong Shipowners Association, the Nautical Institute Hong Kong Branch, and Maritime Professional Promotion Federation, actively promote the industry and encourage engagement between the shipping community and the general public; and shipping companies provide professional services, create job opportunities and help drive maritime innovation.”

Decarbonisation through Digitalisation

The Hong Kong government is committed to achieving carbon neutrality before 2050, and shares a common goal with StormGeo to contribute to global green efforts. Leung said, “At StormGeo, accelerating the use of digital solutions to support decarbonisation is our priority. One example of that is our recent launch of Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) Dashboard — a reliable digital tool for ship operators to calculate, report and improve the CII rankings of their fleets. It empowers them to comply and stay ahead of new international rules on carbon emission.” Leung added that as climate may change drastically, StormGeo’s smart analytics and solutions enable smooth navigational planning and route optimisation, boosting energy efficiency and achieveing more profound fleet performance.

Leung sees InvestHK as a resourceful partner alongside their growth. “InvestHK has been offering us policy updates and industry insights, as well as promoting our business through their extensive network. Their support and assistance are indispensable for Hong Kong, enabling it to develop into the leading maritime hub in Asia,” Leung concluded.