A part of Watch Media

ShippingWatchTuesday7 February 2023

  • Search
  • Log in
  • Carriers
  • Logistics
  • Regulation
  • Suppliers
  • Search
  • Log in
  • Latest
  • Search
  • Log in
  • Carriers
  • Logistics
  • Regulation
  • Suppliers
  • Offshore
  • Ports
03/03/2014at 15:52

Maritime entrepreneur back with a new project in 2014

Later this year, Lars Thrane will once again enter the maritime stage after involuntarily resigning in 2012 from his life's work, Thrane & Thrane, when the company was sold to English Cobham. He plans to once more combine the maritime field and technology, he tells ShippingWatch.
Photo: ILAN BRENDER
Photo: ILAN BRENDER
BY KATRINE GRØNVALD RAUN

It is not 100 percent in the bag yet, but the project is well on its way. Within the next ten months everything will need to be settled, says Lars Thrane. The 65-year-old Danish entrepreneur does not hesitate. In 2014 he will return to the maritime stage with a new project for which he is currently gathering people.

A little over a year ago Lars Thrane left his life's work, communication equipment manufacturer Thrane & Thrane, which through 30 years had specialized in communications on board ships, in particular. It was not out of his own desire, but the company had been acquired by English Cobham, and Lars Thrane ultimately surrendered his efforts to alter the chain of events. On December 1st 2012, he said goodbye:

"I gave a speech in the cafeteria. I was wearing some nice clothes and a tie, and I never wear a tie - then I told them that I had put on the tie because today I was going to a funeral. And it wasn't my funeral. And then they laughed," says Lars Thrane.

Do you want to stay up to date on the latest developments in International shipping? Subscribe to our newsletter – the first 40 days are free

New project on the wings

He is not wearing a tie when ShippingWatch meets him in downtown Copenhagen. Rather, his tan reveals that he has not spent the entire winter in the Danish dark, and Lars Thrane does not try hide the fact that he gets around quite a bit during a year. He recently flew his own plane to Augsburg, in Southern Germany, and every summer he hikes for two weeks in the Alps with his backpack. Either with friends or children. 30 years as founder and head of a company that helped revolutionize communications between ships has given a certain financial freedom.

Thrane & Thrane was sold to Cobham for USD 443 million. Lars Thrane himself got USD 110.7 million, and some of this money will now be invested in a new project within the maritime and electronic fields. He declines to go into further details.

"The money is not a problem. USD 18.5 million will get you a long way. The barrier has been trying to find out where there is a future. We have some products, but we're not entirely ready with the big, key product. The marine industry is a bit tricky right now, and it's difficult to see whether things will go one way or another," he says.

Why marine?

But this does not keep him from betting on the industry anyway, and why is that? He describes it as a handicap himself, that it has to be a mix between shipping and electronics, but he cannot deny his enthusiasm for sailing and for the industry, and he spends one month every year sailing. And Lars Thrane is probably one of a very, very few to have the same navigating system as used in Maersk container ships installed on his motor boat.

And it is this passion for the business that makes him return, he says. Additionally, the Danish maritime sector is very big, "even though we're trying to keep it a secret," he says, then laughs.

"It's a highly professional environment, where it's business to business between people who need this product. I don't want to explain to someone why they need some gadget, as you do with regular people. I don't need to tell anyone that they need an Internet connection for the ship, or electronic charts. And when this takes up so much space in our export industry, it's a good place to dig into."

And in terms of the new venture, this can be boiled down to gut instinct:

"I really only need to be convinced that this is the right thing to do. I don't have a set criteria, it's just a gut instinct. Everything we did at Thrane & Thrane was gut instinct. We made 50 key products and we never missed the target."

The Indians

Lars Thrane is currently speaking to three or four engineers. The Indians, he calls them, as they are currently working at other companies, and, as he says, they are having some trouble handling the idea of starting something of their own.

"I feel the exact opposite, as I've never tried to be anything but independent," he says, adding:

"Depending on what we'll start working on, I expect we'll have to be somewhere between 20 and 30 people."

But before that can happen, a competition clause dating back to 2001, when Thrane & Thrane was listed, has to expire. This will happen in November of this year.

Going forward, Lars Thrane believes that two fields within his trade will have to change. One is the communication with ships through broadband:

"It seems reasonable, but it's insanely expensive to install and operate. Something has to happen. It's difficult to say exacty how, but something needs to happen, it's just too expensive," he says, explaining that an antenna costs more than USD 18,500 plus maintenance.

"The way I see it that's not good enough. Personal communication is getting cheaper and cheaper, but in the marine field it's getting more and more expensive."

The same thing goes for navigation, he says.

"And these are two fields that I work in."

Do you want to stay up to date on the latest developments in International shipping? Subscribe to our newsletter – the first 40 days are free

New technology: Vessel errors identified from land 

Shipping giants introduce electronic contracts 

Related articles:

  • Photo: Cobham

    New technology: Vessel errors identified from land

    For subscribers

  • Photo: Star Bulk

    Shipping giants introduce electronic contracts

Sign up for our newsletter

Stay ahead of development by receiving our newsletter on the latest sector knowledge.

!
Newsletter terms

Front page now

Foto: Sund & Bælt
Offshore

Danish authorities suspending 23GW of offshore wind projects

The Danish Energy Agency has temporarily halted all processing of projects applying for licenses via the national open-door ordinance to await the EU’s assessment of the scheme’s compliance with EU law.
  • Ziton wins multi-year deal with German utility
  • Clarksons banks on offshore wind with new US office

For subscribers

Foto: Magnus Møller
Featured

Eitzen son wants to electrify shipping as new CEO of Christiania Shipping

For subscribers

Mads Drejer, driftsdirektør hos Scan Global Logistics | Photo: Pr-foto Scan Global Logistics
Logistics

New owner to improve Scan Global Logistics’ acquisition abilities

For subscribers

Foto: Jon Nazca/Reuters/Ritzau Scanpix
Container

Carriers are becoming more punctual following massive delays during the pandemic

For subscribers

Foto: Scan Global
Logistics

Scan Global Logistics sold to private equity firm

For subscribers

Sultan Ahmen Bin Sulayem commands Dubai-based DP World. | Foto: DP World
Ports

DP World expects uncertain growth developments in 2023

For subscribers

Further reading

Axel C. Eitzen and Eitzen Group acquire the majority stake of a Norwegian supplier of automation and energy systems for shipping. | Foto: PR
Suppliers

Eitzen Group buys Norwegian marine tech company

The group, which owns tanker carrier Christiania Shipping, has acquired the majority stake in Høglund Marine Solutions, which has systems installed on hundreds of ships.

For subscribers

Lars Jensen is a shipping analyst and founder of consultancy Vespucci Maritime. In the future, he will write two opinion pieces for ShippingWatch a month. | Foto: Magnus Møller
Container

Opinion: Maersk and MSC heading for direct confrontation over customers

Ahead of the 2M alliance’s final termination in 2025, Maersk and MSC will probably try to steal customers from each other, writes analyst Lars Jensen.

For subscribers

Foto: Colourbox / arkivfoto
Ports

Four ships withheld in Malaysia over illegal bunker trading

Authorities in the Malaysian state of Johor have confiscated 7,000 tonnes of oil that may have been transferred illegally, writes one news outlet.

For subscribers

Latest news

  • Danish authorities suspending 23GW of offshore wind projects – 07:22
  • Fredriksen company raises funds for arbitration case against shipyard – 6 Feb
  • French shipping tycoon ramps up M&A hunt with eye on Bollore arm – 6 Feb
  • Stolt-Nielsen plans listing for Stolt Tankers in 2023 – 6 Feb
  • Eitzen son wants to electrify shipping as new CEO of Christiania Shipping – 6 Feb
  • New owner to improve Scan Global Logistics’ acquisition abilities – 6 Feb
  • DP World expects uncertain growth developments in 2023 – 6 Feb
  • Carriers are becoming more punctual following massive delays during the pandemic – 6 Feb
  • EU project aims to make marine fuels with green energy – 6 Feb
  • Scan Global Logistics sold to private equity firm – 6 Feb
See all

Jobs

  • Chartering Manager for Lauritzen Bulkers A/S

  • Ambitious employee for Shipping office wanted

  • Vessel Manager Marine and QA

  • Copenhagen Shipping Company is hiring a skilled cargo broker

  • Foundation Package Manager - Offshore wind industry

  • Head of P2X Marketing and Sales (m/f/d)

  • Senior Financial Controller

  • Fleet Manager

Jobs

  • Chartering Manager for Lauritzen Bulkers A/S

  • Ambitious employee for Shipping office wanted

  • Vessel Manager Marine and QA

  • Copenhagen Shipping Company is hiring a skilled cargo broker

  • Foundation Package Manager - Offshore wind industry

  • Head of P2X Marketing and Sales (m/f/d)

  • Senior Financial Controller

  • Fleet Manager

See all jobs

Colophon

ShippingWatch
Search

Sections

  • Carriers
  • Logistics
  • Regulation
  • Suppliers
  • Offshore
  • Ports
  • Sitemap
  • RSS feeds

Editor

Tomas Kristiansen

tk@shippingwatch.dk

Tel.: +45 3330 8360

  • About ShippingWatch

Editor-in-chief

Anders Heering

Publisher

JP/Politiken Media Group Ltd

Advertising

annoncering@infowatch.dk

Tel.: +45 7077 7445

Advertising

Job Advertising

job@infowatch.dk

Tel.: +45 7077 7445

Jobs

Subscription

Try ShippingWatch or get an offer for a subscription meeting the exact needs of you or your company.

shippingwatch@infowatch.dk

Tel.: +45 7077 7445

Learn more about subscriptions here

Address

ShippingWatch

Rådhuspladsen 37

1785 Copenhagen K, Denmark

Tel.: +45 3330 8360

Guidelines

  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © ShippingWatch — All rights reserved

Microsoft is in the process of discontinuing Internet Explorer – and so are we.
For a better experience, we recommend using one of the following browsers.

Kind regards,
ShippingWatch

Google ChromeMozilla FirefoxMicrosoft Edge