Page 230 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - ΜΑΙΟΣ 2024

FLEET OPTIMISATION

mitigation for the crew, condition monitor- What, in your view, is the future of connectivity
ing, maintenance, and paperwork are just a and telecommunications in the shipping industry?
few areas where AI can thrive. I expect that the future will bring more
Fuel consumption optimisation was one of more groundbreaking developments
the first fields in which artificial intelligence in shipping’s digitalisation.Indeed, the
was employed in shipping. The simultane- shipping industry is undergoing a digi-
ous analysis of the various factors affect- tal transformation. Shipping companies
ing fuel consumption, such as weather, fuel already use digital tools and technolo-
quality, hull condition, engine performance, gies to operate more efficiently and
and the ship’s commercial commitments, achieve their commercial goals and envi-
among others, has turned ship performance ronmental targets. They are embracing
monitoring from a demanding task into a the benefits of digital tools and reliable
routine process. connectivity, which play a significant
There are many uses of AI in shipping, and role in effective and responsible deci-
they are expected to expand further, espe- sion-making.
cially in fleet optimisation, which is under I am convinced that technologies that
tremendous commercial and regulatory are currently under development and
pressure. still in limited use will be established and
widely accessible in our industry in less
How efficient and safe is the interoperability of than a decade. Data acquisition systems,
the new digital platforms for monitoring ship per- which are constantly evolving and being
formance, ensuring compliance, and facilitating used by an increasing number of compa-
reporting? nies, have bridged the gap between the
Combining information from various sources ship and the office. Today, there is no
and functionalities into a single platform could analogue or digital signal onboard that
be highly efficient. It could be a tool for oper- cannot be transmitted ashore. What was
ators to make the right choice every time. A unimaginable a few decades ago is now
platform that would combine weather routing available in various functional variants,
algorithms, weather forecasts, fuel consump- eliminating the communication gap
tion, speed performance models, high-fre- between the ship and the office.
quency performance data, port information, I am very curious to see the technolog-
charter party, and other commercial informa- ical developments in maritime connec-
tion could be a precious tool for the operator’s tivity in the coming years, as well as the
decision-making, with both performance and changes technology will bring to ship-
safety in mind. In addition, data integration in ping companies and stakeholders’ daily
a single platform could help everyone in the operations.
company cooperate more efficiently.

224