Page 194 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - ΜΑΙΟΣ 2024

FLEET OPTIMISATION

How efficient and safe is the interoperability of
the new digital platforms for monitoring ship per-
formance, ensuring compliance, and facilitating
reporting?
Columbia Shipmanagement takes digi-
talisation very seriously. We’ve been at
the forefront of developing new digital
platforms to monitor ship performance,
ensure compliance, and facilitate report-
ing. These platforms are designed to be
interoperable, improving efficiency and
safety in several ways. Our ecosystem
of digital tools is a secure portal that
provides real-time data on vessel per-
formance, allowing swift issue identi-
The future of connectivity fication and resolution, which can help
and telecommunication prevent accidents and ensure regula-
in the shipping industry is tory compliance. Additionally, these
all about embracing cutting-edge platforms can be integrated with other
technology to improve efficiency maritime software systems using APIs,
and safety at sea. which can further streamline operations
and improve data quality. Of course,
there are always going to be challenges
associated with interoperability, such as
ensuring compatibility between differ-
ent systems. However, we believe that
the benefits of digitalisation outweigh
the risks and are committed to working
with other stakeholders in the industry
to develop standards and best practices
that will make interoperability even more
efficient and safe.

What, in your view, is the future of connectivity
and telecommunications in the shipping indus-
try?
The future of connectivity and telecom-
ous applications. AI enables advanced munication in the shipping industry is
weather routing and voyage optimisation all about embracing cutting-edge tech-
by analysing data to suggest optimal nology to improve efficiency and safety
routes, thus enhancing fuel efficiency at sea. At Columbia Shipmanagement,
and safety during voyages. Addition- we have always been at the forefront of
ally, AI-driven predictive maintenance innovation, and I believe that solutions
algorithms can anticipate equipment like remote diagnostics, AI, and data
failures, allowing for proactive mainte- analysis will play a major role. Moreover,
nance to prevent downtime and ensure we do not have a single IT backbone in
operational efficiency. Digital twinning the maritime industry. Vessels cannot
technology further facilitates perfor- communicate effectively and digitally
mance optimisation by creating digital with ports, airports, planes, and trains;
replicas of vessels and equipment for therefore, a tremendous opportunity
simulation and scenario testing, aiding for cross-sector optimisation is being
in risk mitigation. By leveraging these AI missed. However, I am confident that
technologies, shipping companies can Maritime IT will find its common IT
streamline operations, reduce costs, backbone within the next few months,
improve safety standards, and enhance rendering many of the fragmented and
overall fleet performance. non-homogeneous IT systems presently
available obsolete in the future.

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