Shipping's new era is being digitally driven

摘要

The maritime industry is undergoing a rapid transformation. From being a rather conservative, tradition-based industry reliant on trusted and proven ways of doing things, it is now quickly adjusting to the possibilities that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies can offer. It is an adjustment largely driven by necessity, as economic challenges demand greater efficiencies, and as regulatory restrictions demand better environmental performance.The availability of highly sophisticated solutions capable of significantly reducing operating expenses, the main ingredients of which are fuel and labour costs, is an obvious attraction in driving the transformation. At the same time, being able to enhance existing practices with the management of Big Data through automation and machine learning, an entirely new level of performance can be achieved in terms of efficiency, safety, investments and sustainability. Not least, human error - the cause of most accidents - can be greatly reduced.