Challenges

As digitalization continues to evolve, the shipping and maritime industries face ongoing challenges, including keeping pace with technology, adapting to changes and meeting the growing demands of stricter regulations. Automation and technology will significantly affect shipping, making it more interconnected, but also more interlinked with the global supply chain.

At the same time, there is a sense of urgency around decarbonization in the maritime industry. The IMO has set an optimistic goal to cut annual greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping by at least half by 2050, compared with their level in 2008.

Thus, managing the digital and green transition is critical for shipping to be safe, efficient, and sustainable.

Still, today ships are the most cost- and emission-effective transport means, and will continue to be of central importance in the next generation of transport networks. Advances in automation and technology provide an opportunity to rethink shipping as a whole. New technologies have already transformed maritime transportation and will continue to do so at all levels including the way ships are designed, constructed, equipped and operated, and will certainly significantly impact personnel, both onboard and onshore, including the new skill sets that will be required.

The extent to which technology is likely to automate part of jobs in the future much depends on the nature of tasks to be undertaken. As the nature of work evolves, massive training will be needed and it is critical to identify future competencies needed to effectively work in a world of advanced automation and technology in transport as well as implementing them in education and training.