In their 6th year, the IMRF Awards are internationally recognised and highly regarded by the maritime SAR community worldwide. 

Pole Star has been an Associate Member of the IMRF since 2017 and has sponsored the IMRF Awards in the Innovation and Technology category since then.  

The company is a widely trusted technology company, uniquely placed to monitor much of the 90% of world trade that travels by sea. Pole Star develops pioneering maritime intelligence technologies turning complex data into accessible insight across regulatory conformance, sanctions screening, trade compliance, tracking, monitoring, and ship security. 

Julian Longson, CEO and Managing Director at Pole Star, has been with the company since its inception in 1998.

He was formative in the maritime industry’s adoption of satellite-based ship tracking and the subsequent regulatory adoption of the Ship Security Alert System (SSAS) and Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) systems. 

He explains why joining the IMRF mattered to Pole Star: “One of our fundamental missions as a company is to mitigate the growing risks to lives across the maritime industry with our innovative technologies. As a leader in maritime intelligence for over 2 decades, and a longstanding provider of vessel tracking and SSAS solutions, Pole Star recognises that SAR is a crucial component within SOLAS and, all SAR activities, no matter how big or small, deserve recognition.” 

Julian adds: “Pole Star has been a sponsor of the IMRF awards for four years. In that time, SAR procedures have not only significantly improved, but have also been put to the test with the strain of COVID-19 on the maritime world, another surge in piracy, and increasingly extreme and unpredictable weather conditions, among other things."

“As a technology company whose core values include innovation and collaboration, the IMRF Award for Innovation and Technology in Maritime Search and Rescue is particularly important to us, as it showcases immense innovations and developments in the industry. The maritime world has long been marred by paper-based and inefficient processes, so pushing for new technologies to improve these issues, and ultimately save more lives, is a key motivation for Pole Star."

“As a company, we believe it is incredibly important to highlight the achievements of individuals in the maritime space, particularly around the mission critical SAR community that consistently show dedication, commitment, selflessness, and professionalism. Over the past couple of decades, Pole Star has worked closely with many people in this community, from the government, shipping, and commercial spaces, and have been repeatedly impressed by the commitment and dedication to ensuring that our seas are safer for everyone."

“We would like to extend an enormous thank you to all the nominees for their phenomenal work in this space, and their commitment to improving safety, security, and efficiency. Your work and contributions have not wavered during the past 18 months, despite the difficulties brought on by the pandemic, and for this, the entire maritime industry owes a debt of gratitude to all those involved in saving lives at sea." 

There are five IMRF Award categories: Team, Individual, Lifetime Achievement, #WomeninSAR and best Innovation & Technology, click here to find out more.