Saronic, Hornbeck Offshore explore autonomous platforms for offshore service vessels

Saronic has entered into a strategic partnership with Hornbeck Offshore Services to evaluate the application of autonomous vessel technology in offshore energy and marine service operations.

Under the agreement, the companies will pursue pilot projects and commercial concepts that combine Hornbeck’s offshore operating experience with Saronic’s autonomous maritime platforms and software. Initial efforts will include assessing the use of Saronic’s 180-ft autonomous vessel, Marauder, along with autonomy-enabled tools for voyage planning, fleet management, predictive maintenance and service delivery.

The collaboration is aimed at identifying practical use cases where autonomous systems could enhance safety, efficiency and endurance in complex offshore environments, including deepwater energy operations. Both companies emphasized that any deployment would adhere to the offshore sector’s established safety, compliance and reliability standards.

Hornbeck and Saronic said the partnership is intended to support the responsible integration of autonomy into offshore services, with potential applications across energy and defense markets as operators explore next-generation approaches to offshore logistics and marine operations.