UK and Japanese stakeholders are engaged together to accelerate the development of an assurance framework for maritime autonomy and instigate development of appropriate regional and international regulations, following a four-day workshop in Japan on 4-7 March.
As informed, Lloyd’s Register (LR) and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) led key discussions in early March, involving representatives from Japan Maritime Bureau, Japan Coast Guard, universities, research institutes and maritime industry key representatives from Japan, including NYK, MOL and K LINE, of the DFFAS+ Project (an initiative funded by The Nippon Foundation) for the design of the Future Fully Autonomous Ship of Japan.
Discussions aimed to assist UK and Japanese regulators’ understanding of autonomy’s potential in maritime, build an assurance framework for its safe and reliable introduction, and develop a pathway to exploit the opportunities autonomy affords.
Japan’s goals and collaborative efforts
Japan’s goal is to see ships operating at the equivalent of LR’s autonomy level 4 (AL4) within its waters by 2026, with physical demonstrator ships sailing by the middle of 2025. In line with these aims, LR and NPL have agreed to promote the acceleration of verification and validation in line with technology development and deployment, including those related to collision avoidance and training and watchkeeping.
Regulatory framework and assurance work
Through these activities, the aim is to promote an appropriate regulatory framework for the development, testing, innovation, and commercial realization of effective and safe autonomous vessels and related technologies in the UK, Japan, and beyond. Work on the assurance framework stems from the UK-based Maritime Autonomy Assurance Testbed (MAAT) partnership led by LR and NPL, focused on building a test and certification programme to provide a pathway to safe adoption.
Market expansion and growth projections
The autonomy and artificial intelligence (AI) market is expanding rapidly. According to “Outside of the Box,” a joint Lloyd’s Register and Thetius report published in April 2023, it was expected to be worth $1.47 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22%. This growth trajectory suggests that the market could be worth $3.09 billion by 2028.
Naoto Nakagawa, Designated Principal Researcher at the National Maritime Research Institute in Japan, stated that autonomous ships are expected to enhance economic efficiency, improve the working environment for seafarers, and increase marine traffic safety. He also pointed out that this development brings new challenges in terms of building secure autonomous systems and verifying them.
There is pioneering work taking place in maritime automation and LR is privileged to be involved in conversations with leaders in this field. The recent meetings show that there is an ever-increasing level of alignment of thought between Japan and UK Administrations and industry.
… said Tony Boylen, Principal Specialist Autonomy at Lloyd’s Register
Meanwhile, Andre Burgess, Partnerships Lead, Assured Autonomy, at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), remarked that the recent meetings have emphasized the level of innovation and future capability of these technologies.
