Hydrographic Society Russia

In St. Petersburg, Russia, there are a significant number of educational, design, scientific and industrial enterprises and organisations connected with hydrography and navigation. The HSR Council plans and carries out visits on a regular basis to such establishments with the purpose of supplying HSR members with information which may be of interest to them.

Therefore, on 13 November 2010, a group of HSR members, headed by the HSR president Nikolay Neronov, visited the Joint-Stock Company, Marine Bridge & Navigating Systems (JSC “MNS”). The delegation was met by the MNS general director Konstantin A. Smirnov and his assistant V. G.Dzjuba, both of whom are HSR members. In addition, the director of MNS’ commercial department, L.A. Morjakov, was present. K.A. Smirnov gave a presentation on the activities of MNS. He emphasised that the company was founded 20 years ago by S.R.Komarov (he is now the chairman of the MNS board of directors) and that the company will celebrate its 20th anniversary on 3 July 2011. The current products of JSC ”MNS” include a full set of navigation equipment with integrated bridge systems and navigation simulators, radio communication, oceanographic equipment, integrated monitoring and control systems, fire alarm and fire fighting systems, deck and auxiliary machinery. More than 600 hulls and ships were equipped by skilled workers of the company. Full technological cycle services are offered to customers, such as, project work, interconnecting products, software development, equipment mounting, dockside and sea trials, guarantee service, etc.

The HSR members present were introduced to a company in St. Petersburg, with approximately 200 employees, and convincingly shown that it is a company that not only actively advances foreign brands dealing with navigation and hydrography equipment in the Russian market but is also actively engaged in the creation of competitive products of interest to both domestic and foreign consumers.

Areas of work that could be useful to the improvement of hydrographic research were also discussed and determined. A communiqué about this visit was published in the HSR Information letter 78.