Avikus expands in US, appoints managing director
Avikus, HD Hyundai’s autonomous navigation in-house startup, has appointed Paul Petani to the position of managing director of North America.
In his new role, Petani is responsible for establishing the brand and an official US entity, growing a domestic team and overseeing the day-to-day operations of Avikus’ efforts in the United States and Canada.
Petani’s immediate charge for Avikus in the North American market includes opening a US office before the end of the year, growing the Avikus US sales and support teams and developing a domestic aftermarket distribution network. In addition, he will oversee the continued support of recently established partnerships and the development of new collaborations, and work to secure future OEM agreements.
Petani has previously worked at IoT startup FELL Technology, Brunswick’s Mercury Marine, First Alert Fire & Safety and Polaris Industries.
“I am very excited for this opportunity with such a ground-breaking venture,” said Petani. “This truly revolutionary technology is set to change the face of recreational boating forever. I am looking forward to driving awareness and growth for Avikus in this vital market.”
In February, MIN reported that British marine electronics specialist Raymarine had opened the 2023 Miami International Boat Show by signing a multi-year exclusivity business partnership agreement (EPA) with Avikus to develop the NeuBoat system, which leverages the power of the Avikus Navigation Assistant System (NAS) and Docking Assistant System (DAS).
Avikus NAS is said to allow a boat to recognise and assess on-the-water situations in real-time and without human intervention, creating a route for safe autonomous navigation. In addition, Avikus DAS technology applies an integrated cognitive system allowing a boat to dock by itself.
