Inmarsat Maritime Discusses in Hamburg the Gap Between Technology and Its Real-World Use

Inmarsat Maritime organized a seminar titled 'Connected to Perform' in Hamburg during the SMM trade fair, where a panel of industry experts agreed that the technology needed to digitalize maritime operations already exists, but there is still work to be done for organizations and their personnel to use it effectively. Audra Drablos, Chief Strategy Officer at Inmarsat Maritime, stated that technology is no longer the issue, but rather how companies transform their decision-making processes to go digital.

The panelists described how their companies apply modern technology in their operations. Patrick Briest, Senior Director of IT Product Operations at Hapag-Lloyd, mentioned the use of real-time cargo tracking and route optimization, as well as the creation of the Fleet Data Ecosystem to integrate all of the shipping line's data. Konstantin Pohsin, Fleet Captain at Fairplay Towage, explained that predictive maintenance helps keep tugboats operationally available. Matthias Becker, Managing Director of Anglo-Eastern Germany, highlighted the use of artificial intelligence to manage vessel emissions, although he noted that the company is still working on connecting systems that currently remain siloed.

Pohsin identified a 'knowledge gap' regarding the use of connected systems on board and stressed the need to define how to train all personnel in the use of these tools. Becker, for his part, argued that training alone is not enough to address the 'complex challenge' of digital transformation, and called for greater cooperation among crews, technical staff, data analysts, operators, shipowners, fleet managers, original equipment manufacturers and IT system providers.

The panelists agreed that the goal of technologies such as artificial intelligence is not to replace human judgment, but to free up personnel from time-consuming data analysis and regulatory compliance tasks. Drablos cited a Seafarers Happiness Index report indicating that seafarers with higher levels of responsibility show the lowest satisfaction rates, and suggested that AI could help them prioritize information and make better decisions. Briest added that the growing use of cloud-based AI applications will likely increase the demand for connectivity on board vessels.

Drablos stated that the discussion is not about choosing between connectivity and security, but about building security as a foundation when implementing connectivity. In his opening remarks, Gert-Jan Panken, General Manager and Vice President of Inmarsat Maritime, mentioned the recent cybersecurity type approval granted by ClassNK and Bureau Veritas to Inmarsat's NexusWave connectivity solution, in accordance with IACS Unified Requirement E27, and emphasized that connectivity today is less about the connection itself and more about the infrastructure that enables business outcomes to be achieved.