Page 96 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - MARTIOS 2023

SMART SHIPPING
Mr Antonis Georgantzis presents his views on the future skills a seafarer will need as
shipping's digitalisation progresses.
CYBERSECURITY:
CREW TRAINING
IS PART OF THE EQUATION
The field of safety is believed to have benefited the least
from the digitalisation of the shipping industry. What fac-
tors have led to this result, and what initiatives are nec-
essary to make the desired progress?
Digitalisation is undoubtedly increasing equip-
ment capabilities when used correctly, provided
you have the right platforms to bring the data
back to shore. At the same time, you also need
to have the right people to assess the quality
of the data and be able to extract the essence
behind the numbers. This is vital since numbers
can be misleading and sometimes lead to erro-
neous results. Monitoring the vessel’s machinery
performance is a crucial function. We can monitor
how critical machinery is operating, thus prevent-
ing downtime or damages; often, it is a case of
having a real-time view of how engines, genera-
tors, and cargo handling systems, especially in gas
carriers we operate. Digitalisation is also assisting
a lot in troubleshooting. We are moving into a
more advanced way of troubleshooting problems
the vessels experience compared to all the tra-
ditional ways of doing things in the older days.
For example, instead of the chief engineer having
to send the alarm lists, we can now extract them
automatically from the office. Therefore, we at
the office know what is going on and can provide
instructions. Digitalisation, with the appropriate
hardware on board and the knowledge of people
- which needs to be increased and targeted on
specific areas - provides the basis for moving from
more traditional ways of carrying out maintenance
to condition-based maintenance schemes. We can
decide when the equipment should be maintained
by relying on periodic measurements and data and
decide when maintenance will be done, always in
by line with the Maker’s recommendations.
Antonis Georgantzis,
Chief Operational Officer of Latsco Marine
Management Inc. Big data analysis is considered vital to boosting the oper-
ational performance of vessels. Will it become necessary
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for companies to employ people with relevant knowledge to perform in-house
evaluations of their fleet’s performance? Will this be possible for smaller com-
panies, or will outsourcing become a common practice?
I believe the traditional company’s structures developed in the
past will find it difficult to cope with big data. You need dedicated
people with a solid theoretical background and knowledge. At the
same time, you need experienced people who understand what
goes on the vessel and make the right decisions.
Big data analysis is becoming increasingly vital to boosting the
operational performance of vessels, and it may become necessary
for shipping companies to employ people with relevant knowl-
edge to perform in-house evaluations of their fleet's performance.
However, this may not be feasible for smaller companies, as they
may not have the resources or expertise to conduct such analy-
ses. In such cases, outsourcing may become the only solution to
apply, accommodated with considerable high cost and limitation
in flexibility to adopt new requirements. Our company has created
a specialised department that includes data engineers, electrical
engineers, and naval architects who collaborate to develop per-
formance applications in-house. They analyse and evaluate per-
formance data collected from our vessels and work closely with
our marine, operation, and technical departments. By filtering and
interpreting this data, they are able to make informed decisions
that optimise vessel operations, resulting in improved efficiency
and reduced environmental impact. Though at times we may face
resistance to change, our primary goal is always to enhance vessel
performance and big data analysis has provided us with the neces-
sary foundation to achieve this. Furthermore, we have implemented
preventive maintenance schemes and use data to monitor and iden-
tify potential problems or performance issues, which has resulted
in more reliable and cost-effective vessel operations. Overall, our
commitment to big data analysis has enabled us to operate our
vessels more efficiently, safely, and sustainably. It is important to
recognise that utilising data for preventive maintenance and vessel
operation should not be considered as a replacement for taking
action to troubleshoot and address issues on the spot. These are
parallel actions that work together to achieve the best possible
results. While preventive maintenance and data analysis can help
identify and mitigate potential issues before they become larger
problems, it is still necessary to take immediate action when an
issue presents itself (day 2 day operation, traditional approach).
By combining these approaches, vessel operators can optimise
performance and reliability, ensuring that their vessels operate at
the highest level of efficiency and safety.
New technologies are expected to alter the necessary skills set a seafarer
should have. Does this refer mainly to their general familiarity with technol-
ogy, or are there explicit skills that will be deemed essential for seafarers in
the future?
Seafarers will need to follow developments in the transition towards
a digitalised and automated way of doing things. Electricians need
highly specialised skills; we see that the younger generations coming
out of academies are more familiar with new technologies. However, to
be able to operate and troubleshoot the systems, we need to provide
adequate training on the actual systems installed. So, we do not need
general training, but training on the specific systems and machinery
seafarers will operate when on board ships.
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