EMSA, headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, is one of the 28 agencies of the European Union. It was founded in 2002 with the aim of reducing the risk of maritime accidents, marine pollution from ships, and the loss of human lives at sea by helping to enforce the pertinent EU legislation.

The relationship between the two organisations began in 2007, when EMSA selected eXact learning solutions (formerly known as Giunti Labs) to be the contractor for implementing an ambitious project named DLP3 (Distance Learning Programme 3). DLP3 produced hundreds of learning objects, packaged into thirteen eLearning modules on Port State Control.

The first work programme resulted in a large amount of learning content that addressed key maritime-security issues such as hull construction; radio, engine and safety equipment; as well as fire protection. It was produced and packaged in SCORM format using eXact Packager and eXact Content Models templates, the authoring component of the award-winning eXact LCMS platform.

The new four-year work program, launched in Lisbon in February 2012, will see eXact learning solutions maintaining the existing modules by means of a fully customised version of its eXact LCMS content lifecycle management solution, as well producing new modules.

In addition, eXact learning solutions will run pilots on delivering these learning materials via mobile learning. It will also work on an innovative taxonomy-based content classification process for workflow and competency-development support named Maritime Taxonomies & Competencies Horizons (MATCH).

The new learning content and preliminary results of the MATCH outcomes are expected in the second half of 2012.