Digital technologies must drive industry revenues in the proper directions while also advancing environmental goals if they are to have a positive influence on shipping and maritime services.

What advantages can digitalization provide to the shipping and maritime sector? What impact does it have on the value chain, how goods and services are delivered, and the global economy, which strongly depends on the efforts of this sector? The marine industry is becoming more digital than ever because to difficulties that endure and solutions that arise from them. In April, $5 million in seed funding was given to OnePort 365, a Nigerian business that promises to address inefficiencies and other bottlenecks in the African maritime sector. Similar to this, a 2021 World Bank report illustrated how the deployment of digital technologies will eliminate significant inefficiencies and streamline logistics and operations throughout the maritime supply chain.

Due to the numerous advantages that digital technologies have, they are now widely accepted in many areas of the transportation sector, and there is a global push for digitalization. Today let us look at how maritime digitilization is revolutionising the shipping industry.

Efficiency for Reliability and Profitability

Digital maritime technology bring a number of features for instantaneous event reaction. The shipping business has not historically been extremely reactive, but with fierce competition, staying afloat and making money now requires both proactive measures and quick reactions. Real-time data, for instance, can be used to monitor and forecast increases in economic activity that may result in shipping delays and, as a result, expand capacity in advance. The shipping business must also keep up with increasing rules and regulations due to the rise in regulatory expectations.

This always entails greater planning, monitoring, and reporting, usually with little lead time. Maritime technologies improve fleets' ability to monitor operations, assuring adherence to changing laws and timely submission of required data to regulators. When significant occurrences like big disasters or geopolitical conflicts take place, these technologies also enable modifications in route planning and supply chain operations. In order to avoid accumulating losses or, even worse, the complete collapse of operations, which would have an impact on the global economy, the sector needs to react quickly to such changes.

There is an increasing lack of experienced people in the sector because of the nature of marine employment and seafaring. This has been made worse by the COVID pandemic, which has made occupations that require one to work away from home, less common and more prevalent in favour of local and remote jobs. Revenue and productivity are lost in the industry when experienced people leave. This vacuum is filled by digital technologies, which support understaffed positions and enhance production effectively and affordably.

Sustainability and Conservation

In terms of sustainability and conservation initiatives, digital technologies get a perfect grade. In order to reduce emissions and safeguard fragile marine habitats, they assist in monitoring and improving environmental performance. Environmental concerns and the level of harm the maritime industry is causing to aquatic and marine ecosystems are now top concerns for regulators. In order to maintain sustainable operations and reduce environmental damage to the barest minimum, industry is being progressively controlled. Regulators are enforcing policies like carbon footprint disclosure, emissions and pollution tax, etc. to move the industry towards becoming more environmentally friendly. In nearly all cases, the objective is to cut emissions by 50% by the year 2050.

Digital technologies can be used by businesses to carry out policies and follow more stringent environmental requirements while still making a profit. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has determined that using digital technology to optimise operations results in lower emissions of dangerous substances, as well as less harm to ecosystems. Digital tools are available to monitor waste-producing maritime activities in real-time and to assist in tracking emissions. There are modern, energy-saving electrical and digital systems that can be used to reduce power usage and, as a result, carbon emissions.

For operations to be sustainable, connectivity and route tracking are crucial. Routes and operations can be planned in advance with an eye on efficiency and fuel conservation. Spills and leaks are identified in real time, and they are fixed as soon as feasible.

The reduction of paper processes is one of the major sustainability effects of digitalization in the maritime sector. The environment has suffered greatly as a result of the use of paper in business processes and record keeping. In the first place, paper use results in deforestation and paper trash adds to environmental pollution. In addition, burning paper waste emits carbon dioxide into the sky, which contributes to global warming. The issue is more serious than it appears. According to the Billentis report titled "The e-invoicing journey 2019-2025," the worldwide market uses 500 billion paper invoices annually.

The requirement for paper invoices can be fully eliminated by the use of digital information technologies and digital procedures, which also reduces errors and processing times, making the maritime industry more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Digital technologies such as digital signatures, digital storage and preservation, cloud computing, etc. are all driving the digitization of paper operations and, as a result, the low use or even eradication of paper.

Safety

A key advantage of digitalization is increased maritime security. Less mishaps at ports and on the water have been shown to arise from the use of digital technologies in marine operations. These technologies automate, digitise, and simplify risky or challenging procedures. Intelligent navigation systems at sea assist in preventing collisions and accidents that could be caused by human mistake. These onboard technologies both give the crew feedback and enable autonomous navigation when they are set on autopilot. Strong winds were a factor in the Evergreen Marine tragedy at the Suez Canal, which might have been easily identified by digital monitoring and feedback systems. Artificial intelligence has recently been pushing these technologies to their limits. There are deep learning algorithms that can process real-time data from intelligent sensors and produce granular insights for safe navigation.

Weather conditions, logistical challenges, natural disasters, piracy, and geopolitical conflicts are all examples of useful data. They generate reliable information to aid in making decisions. Additionally, these innovations are laying the groundwork for big unmanned ships that can easily travel from coast to coast in the future.

Digital technologies are altering and securing operations on land as well as at sea. Automated technologies are taking over tasks that pose major safety risks. Robotic offloading systems are now being used in ports like the Port of Rotterdam to increase efficiency and safety. Ports have a reputation for being among the most dangerous workplaces due to numerous health and safety dangers. The likelihood of an accident increases dramatically when the dock is crowded with workers. Automation and robotics technology lessen the need for human labour on the quay. Similar health concerns are associated with loading and unloading hazardous and sensitive items. While delicate or dangerous commodities are being moved, there is no chance of harm or poisoning thanks to digitally controlled machinery.

In daily operations, more other digital gadgets that promote maritime safety are being used. In order to put into practise technological solutions that enhance safety in the port environment, the port of Antwerp cooperated with IoT startups. The wearable electronic device is one remarkable invention. This tool aids employees in maintaining the necessary social distance needed to stop the spread of COVID, which is accomplished by mandating a minimum distance from other wearables. Another innovation having a big impact on the maritime industry is the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), also known as the drone. Because they are made to fly without people on board, UAVs are compact and miniaturised. They are therefore less difficult and expensive to operate than conventional aeroplanes. Drones are being used more and more in surveillance and logistical purposes. They facilitate the swift movement of small, important things across short distances. UAVs are equipped with cameras for surveillance purposes and can be used to keep an eye on boundaries. Because UAVs are capable of autonomous flight, the operator may concentrate on monitoring instead of having to do remote piloting tasks.

The entire maritime business environment may greatly benefit from digital technologies. For the sake of efficiency, profitability, safety, and sustainability, the sector must make the transition to digitalization. It makes sense that existing processes would be digitalized gradually and cautiously given the industry's focus on cost savings. To overcome business owners' cynicism, it is crucial to remind stakeholders of the numerous advantages of digitalization. Business owners need to make their investments long-term sustainable as the world adopts digital technologies. Making the shift gets easier and easier with the appropriate allies and reliable solutions.