STEER Project Report Calls for Seafarers' Experience to Guide Maritime Technology

The Nautical Institute, with support from Lloyd's Register Foundation, has published the initial report of the STEER Project, titled 'The evidence, the gaps and the way forward', marking the completion of the project's foundational research phase. The document concludes that onboard technology does not operate in isolation: its effects on safety, workload, competencies and wellbeing depend on how it is designed, implemented, supported and maintained, and warns that technology frequently shifts risk rather than eliminating it.

The report draws on a review of 471 maritime casualty cases occurring between 2005 and 2025, of which 43.1% involved at least one human factor associated with equipment and working conditions. Among the 35 cases in which technology was identified as a direct cause, safety management failures were found in 89% and insufficient resources in 77%. According to one of the sources, the casualty analysis was conducted by the University of Strathclyde and shows that technology-related incidents tend to stem from organisational weaknesses, such as inadequate training, poor procedures and weak oversight, rather than from pure equipment failures.

Captain David Patraiko, Director of Projects at The Nautical Institute, stated that the benefits of technology cannot be assessed solely on technical capability, but on how systems perform in real-world operations and how they affect the people who have to use them. He added that involving seafarers in the design, introduction and ongoing development of technology increases the chances that it will support safer operations rather than create new risks or additional pressures.

The report notes that seafarers do not resist technological progress itself, but that their concerns relate to systems that are difficult to use or poorly supported, insufficient familiarisation, inconsistent interfaces and excessive alarms that do not reflect the reality of onboard operations. An Indian navigating officer interviewed for the project stated that technology should not replace seafarers, but should enhance their expertise. The document adds that digitalisation and automation can transform workload rather than simply reducing it, by generating task duplication, increased administrative burden and additional cognitive load.

The research drew on 105 academic studies, 55 industry publications and 471 casualty reports, as well as interviews, ship visits, workshops, webinars and surveys with seafarers and other maritime professionals. Dr. Tim Slingsby, Director of Skills and Education at Lloyd's Register Foundation, stated that listening to those directly affected by new technologies is essential to putting people at the centre of decision-making. Among its initial recommendations, the report calls for greater seafarer involvement in the design and implementation of technology, improved ship-specific familiarisation and greater attention to alarm fatigue, while also identifying knowledge gaps regarding artificial intelligence, remote monitoring and the long-term impact of automation on competencies.