Kotug Smit Towage was founded in April 2016 by a merger between the European towage activities of Kotug and Smit. The company offers towage services in twelve European ports, including Antwerp.
Training Manager Alain Desmedt: “Harbour pilots and tug masters have to deal with each other on a daily basis, so each knows what the other’s job entails. There’s an obvious link here with cooperation in the area of training. At the Brabo training centre we use both Brabo’s simulator and our own.
Where Brabo’s simulator simulates the full bridge of a cargo vessel, ours is on a slightly smaller scale: the bridge of a tugboat at actual size. By linking the two, we can simulate the close cooperation between the harbour pilot and the tugboat master in very realistic situations. This results in an enormous added value for employee training for both companies.
The atmosphere is one of mutual trust and respect: the ideal basis for fruitful cooperation, as we continuously exchange experience and expertise.”
