Maritime UK has launched an updated version of the industry Code of Practice for autonomous vessels, assisting owners and interested parties on following specific guidelines, focusing on safety, environmental protection and right choice of technical solutions.
In September 2019, shipping experts from around the world gathered at the IMO headquarters to discuss how to proceed on the topic of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), at the first Intersessional Working Group (WG) on MASS, IMarEST informed.
The UK MCA chose UK’s Portland as a test site for a new online platform which will allow data sharing; In this way, MCA will be able to share data with additional organizations that will assist in the development and testing of MASS in UK waters.
Zurich-based technology company ABB announced the signing of a contract with Singaporean shipyard Keppel Offshore & Marine to jointly develop an autonomous tug to operate from 2020. Upon project completion, the vessel is anticipated to be South Asia’s first autonomous tug.
Awake.AI, a digital company, is the new addition into the ONE SEA alliance that unites global experts on autonomous ship technology, and hopes that its new members would bring different perspectives and insights to the One Sea ecosystem.
In line with a growing smart technology trend and as shipping is struggling to keep costs down in order to maintain its competitiveness, as well as to minimize human error to improve its safety record, autonomous ships provide an attractive trend.
Autonomous shipping is making headlines in recent years for its promising potential advantages in the complex maritime environment. A Finnish collaboration, established in 2016, seeks to pave the way for autonomous shipping as early as 2025, validating Nordic countries as the front-runners in the field of automation.
NYK conducted, what it claims to be, the first autonomous navigation trial for a large commercial ship under the Interim Guidelines for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships by the IMO.
China has constructed the first test base for unmanned ships, which will start operations at the end of this year. The test base named Xiangshan Marine Scientific & Technological Port is located in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. The test base will establish an innovation platform for the design, research and testing of unmanned marine systems and intelligent equipment.
Several discussions see automation completely transforming the industry in the next 30 years, while others seem less convinced of a major reform. Our special ‘Smart Watch’ column is asking global experts to provide feedback on the following question: What will the ship of 2050 look like?
