Vario Shipping Group: A Fleet Full of Innovation
The family-owned company Vario Shipping Group has become an integral part of inland shipping. What began in 1998 with a single vessel has grown into a modern fleet of no fewer than 21 ships. From the smallest, Zeus (60 x 7.5 metres), to the largest, Aquanautic (135 x 22.8 metres). In addition to tanker shipping, Vario is now also moving into passenger shipping, with three cruise vessels in the fleet and further expansion in sight. With a passion for inland shipping, Tim Mandemaker focuses on newbuild projects and innovation.

From Hesitation to Conviction
The collaboration between Vario Shipping Group and Shipping Technology began in 2020. “My father Dennis has known Remco Pikaart (founder of Shipping Technology) for years,” Tim explains. “We started talking to Remco about ST and decided to give it a chance by installing the ST BRAIN on a newbuild vessel. After six months, we were convinced and decided to significantly expand the collaboration.” Today, the entire Vario Shipping Group fleet is equipped with the ST BRAIN, including ST CONNECT and ST EMISSIONS. A number of vessels are also fitted with ST SAILING.

All-in-One with the ST BRAIN
The ST BRAIN collects and stores all nautical and technical data. All collected ship data is visible at a glance via the ST Dashboard. One of the most important features of the ST Dashboard is incident reconstruction. After an incident, camera footage, VHF recordings and radar images can easily be retrieved, shared and used for analysis. “In the first half of 2025, we had three incidents, two of which were not our fault,” Tim explains. “Thanks to the incident reconstructions, we were able to show exactly what happened and convince our insurer that the damage was not caused by us. That gives peace of mind.”

This feature is also used within Vario Shipping Group for training and aftercare. “When a captain experiences an incident, we invite him to the office. We go through it together and review the footage. That way we all learn from the situation, and the captain returns on board with more confidence.”

The ST Dashboard also plays an important role in daily operations. “I look at the dashboard every day. It provides instant insight: where the ships are, who is sailing and who is stationary. Everything clearly brought together. When vessels are stationary, we always check how things are and whether everything meets safety standards. Because we see everything, we can make adjustments where necessary.”

Saving Time with ST EMISSIONS
The demand for emission reports in inland shipping is growing rapidly. Thanks to ST EMISSIONS, Vario Shipping Group can deliver these reports quickly and accurately. “With the mts Balder, we have a contract with a customer for sailing on HVO. The vessel sailed for two months on gas oil, then two months on HVO20, and finally on HVO80,” Tim explains. “The customer asked if we could provide a report on this. Thanks to ST EMISSIONS, that saves an enormous amount of work. Within two days, we had all the data collected and sent. Because we could deliver so quickly, we also received feedback from the customer very quickly.”

Smarter and More Sustainable Sailing with ST SAILING
“Honestly, it started as a bet,” Tim laughs. “We thought: what we have now works just fine. After a short test, we were convinced. The difference was huge. Today, six vessels in the fleet sail with ST SAILING. Every newbuild that joins the fleet is also equipped with ST SAILING.”

ST SAILING uses data and AI to automatically stay on course, save fuel and increase safety. The combination of autonomous pilot steering (ALA) and Collision Detection forms the basis for further automation on board. “The system automatically calculates the ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival), so we know in time whether we can increase speed or sail more calmly. Recently, ‘changing lanes’ has also become possible, resulting in smoother sailing,” Tim says.

Innovation is Tim’s thing: “I’m young and I love seeing how technology is changing inland shipping. Even the more experienced captains are starting to experience the added value of ST SAILING. Fewer manual actions mean less chance of errors.”

Sharing Data Easily with ST CONNECT
With ST CONNECT, Vario Shipping Group effortlessly shares data with various external parties. “We have, among other things, a connection with Green Award, which gives us discounts on port dues – always a nice bonus. In addition, we connect via ST CONNECT with Marad Cloud, one of the most widely used maintenance systems in inland shipping. Running hours, RPM, oil pressure and coolant temperature are automatically transmitted and clearly displayed. One system that brings everything together makes our work much more efficient.”

Working Together Towards a Shared Goal
What Vario Shipping Group values most is the collaboration. “We need ST, but ST also needs us,” Tim says with a smile. “It’s great that our captains have direct contact with the support department. The people there have sailed themselves, so they understand exactly what we mean. Everything is resolved quickly and in a friendly way.”
He concludes with a message: “Keep up the good work. You’re really doing great, but stay sharp on the changes within inland shipping. Developments are moving fast!”