Digitalization has already unveiled its promising nature for shipping, but how does this translate in practice? A new book entitled ‘Maritime Informatics’ comes to provide a vivid example of how decision making in the industry can be improved by digital technology.
Acting as the first of its kind on maritime informatics and uniting knowledge from dozens of data scientists across the world, the book introduces the technology required to make this new field a distinct and valuable discipline, as well as its potential to enhance the shipping industry.
The book leverages knowledge from well-known experts in maritime informatics as an applied science: Mikael Lind, an expert in the field, Michalis Michaelides, an Assistant Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering and Informatics at the Cyprus University of Technology, Robert Ward, former Secretary-General of the IHO, and Richard Thomas Watson, expert and author of books on data management and informatics.
However, the book chapters include contributions also from a total of 81 academics and leading practitioners in the shipping industry from 20 nations, reflecting their joint efforts in improving the efficiency, sustainability, and resilience of maritime transport.
Following participation to an EU-funded research over the last six years to improve shipping, the editors highlight the need of Maritime Informatics as a new discipline, which studies the application of information systems to increasing safety and ecological sustainability of the sector in a global scale.
To examine spatial-temporal analytics as a foundation of Maritime Informatics, the book provides an in-depth look into competition and collaboration between shipping companies, ports and terminals, while providing the reader with practical real world examples for better understanding.
Unveiling how digital data sharing can achieve high levels of coordination and resource utilization, the book explains how maritime informatics can act as a ‘game-changer’ for further raising the capital productivity of the shipping industry, through operational performance and strategic planning and, moving further, to enable understanding, predicting, advising, for a digitalized and more optimized maritime activity.
Quote from the editors
“The digital transformation of shipping will proceed more rapidly and successfully if we create a comprehensive and integrated body of knowledge and experience. The many contributors of this first book on Maritime Informatics have charted the first leg of the voyage by collectively elaborating on the nexus between shipping practices and information systems.”
