Tag: autonomous ships

Rolls-Royce and the European Space Agency signed an agreement to pursue space activities for autonomous, remote controlled shipping, aiming to promote innovation in European digital logistics. The collaboration aims to develop new solutions for communication between vessel systems and shore based systems in addition to ship-to-ship communication.

The basis of ecosystem thinking strategy is eliminating major inefficiencies that marine industry players are facing and that impose a significant negative impact on business operations, which are overcapacity, inadequate port-to-port fuel efficiency, and time wasted waiting when entering ports and other high traffic areas. 

Almost two thirds of global marine industry executives believe there is uncertainty surrounding liability issues relating to unmanned ships should a vessel be involved in an incident as a result of a cyber-attack, according to a new report from global law firm Clyde & Co and IMarEST.

Lloyd's Register Foundation and the University of York announced that they are set to lead a £12m program regarding the safety of robotics and autonomous systems, as using RAS will bring benefits, but it is not without risks.

The Code is designed to set initial standards and best practice for all those involved with the development and operation of autonomous systems, seeking to provide practical guidance for the design, construction and safe operation of autonomous and semi-autonomous vessels under 24m.

The UK Ship Register announced it has signed its first ever unmanned vessel to the flag, ASV’s C-Worker 7, in an attempt to adapt to the changes of the maritime industry.

Mark Bull, Marine Consultant, Trafalgar Navigation, pointed out that we are on the threshold of a major change in our industry; it has already started and it is now picking up speed. During his presentation at the 2017 SAFETY4SEA Conference, he said that the new ‘buzz’ word around us now is autonomous; however, many things need to be considered about that.

In a report published by McKinsey, the consultant company tries to depict how the future of shipping will look like in 50 years and what shipping companies can do to adapt to the new reality.

Wärtsilä announced the opening of its first Digital Acceleration Centre, in a bid to accelerate innovation and new business ideas, including the industry’s most advanced intelligent vessel and other projects.

Southampton Solent University Emeritus Professor, Mike Barnett, told that the new generation of high-tech vessels are likely to operate with increasingly reduced crew levels and, where there are seafarers on ships, they will be in small numbers but highly trained.