Speaking at ABS’s annual Marine and Offshore Technical Committee Meetings in Houston, ABS Chief Technology Officer, Howard Fireman, highlighted the significance of the digitalization era that drives decisions within the maritime sector, identifying key focus areas that will help industry deal with this new data-centric world.
The main focus areas to tackle the connectivity era, according to Fireman, are four:
- data collection,
- data security,
- data management and
- data analytics.
Together, these areas make up ABS FutureClass™, the company’s approach to leveraging real-time data to improve decisions and increase operational efficiencies.
Discussions in the meetings also addressed cyber security and how ABS is tackling cyber challenges through the ABS CyberSafety® program – a modular and measurable process that can evolve as threats and technologies emerge. Fireman also noted that the next generation of surveyors and engineers will need deeper, broader and wider technical skillsets and a holistic understanding of how systems are integrated and data-driven.
In addition, publication of the ABS Guide for Dropped Object Prevention for Offshore Units and Installations was discussed during the meeting. The Guide aims to help companies develop effective dropped object prevention programs, reducing dropped object incidents by identifying potential problems, mitigating risks, providing employee training and using lessons learned for continued improvement.
