Wärtsilä has announced the launch of NTPRO 7, a next-generation bridge and ship-handling simulator designed to facilitate future-ready maritime training.
The platform aims to respond to the maritime industry’s wider shift to digital navigation, increasing digitalisation of bridge systems, and growing demands on training institutions to prepare crews for modern, complex vessel operations.
Currently the most advanced version of Wärtsilä’s long‑established navigational simulation platform; NTPRO 7 has been developed with the intention of delivering realistic, immersive training environments that support advanced ship‑handling, navigation and decision‑making training across a wide range of operational scenarios. The new simulator recently received a Statement of Compliance from DNV providing independent verification of its compliance and suitability for navigation training.
Johan Ekvall, Director, Simulation & Training, Wärtsilä Marine, said:The requirements placed on maritime training are evolving rapidly as vessel technologies, digital navigation standards and regulatory expectations continue to advance.
NTPRO 7 is designed to help training institutions and academies prepare crews for these changes by providing a future‑ready simulation environment that mirrors modern bridge operations and supports long‑term competence development.
A key feature of the latest iteration of NTPRO 7 is the introduction of RealSea visualisation. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, the system is combined with an advanced sound system to offer a high‑fidelity, physically accurate training environment, as well as a new generation of conning and overhead displays that mirror real shipboard systems.
These will be delivered alongside S-100 ready digital navigation training, which also incorporates Wärtsilä Navi-Sailor – an advanced electronic chart navigation system (ECDIS) designed for maritime operations. Additional advanced operational training tools enable further realism and usability, including Virtual Watchkeeper with AI‑powered voice command recognition, and a suite of vessel models and functions to support Wind Assisted Propulsion (WAPS) training.
Following two years of extensive piloting and validation; Wärtsilä NTPRO 7 will be commercially available from May 2026.
