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Home HRAwards 2017 SMART4SEA Conference & Awards addressed key smart shipping challenges

2017 SMART4SEA Conference & Awards addressed key smart shipping challenges

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The 2017 SMART4SEA Conference & Awards, a PRO BONO event, successfully concluded on Tuesday 31st of January 2017 in Eugenides Foundation, Athens attracting 460 delegates from 15 countries representing a total of 240 organizations.

Sixteen (16) global experts presented key smart shipping challenges and introduced solutions for facilitating industry’s digitalization. Speakers’ presentations were focused on the important issues concerning shipping’s revolution into a smart sector such as cyber security, e-navigation, autonomous ships, big data and new technology applications. The inaugural presentation of the SMART4SEA Awards took place at the closing of the forum within the scope of awarding industry’s organizations and associations who have distinguished for their excellence, innovation and technology activities.

The 2017 SMART4SEA Conference & Awards was organized by SAFETY4SEA and sponsored by ABS, Arcadia Shipmanagement, BMT Smart, Dorian LPG, Inmarsat, INTERSCHALT Maritime Systems, HEMEXPO, Mobile Technology, NAVTOR, Propulsion Analytics, RISK4SEA, SKILL4SEA, SpecTec, SQEMARINE, SQEACADEMY, SRH Marine Electronics, STM Validation, Tototheo Group, Transas and Wärtsilä.

2017 SMART4SEA Awards

The winners of the 2017 SAFETY4SEA Awards were announced at the end of the forum rewarding companies which demonstrated remarkable performance towards smart shipping either in excellence, innovation or technology category. The winners namely are:

Inmarsat received the SMART4SEA Excellence Award, sponsored by SRH Marine, for its high-speed satellite broadband service, Fleet Xpress, which changes crew lives onboard through greater connectivity with family & friends, video on-demand, social media, online training, telemedicine and measures to shift the administrative burden back to shore. Other short-listed nominees for this category were: BMT SMART, Furuno, Maersk Maritime Technology and Rolls-Royce.

Monalisa 2 STM Validation received the SMART4SEA Innovation Award, sponsored by HEMEXPO, for introducing smart solutions for sharing information data which result in efficient, safe and environmentally friendly maritime transport in the EU while at the same time reduce administrative burdens. Other short-listed nominees for this category were: Kongsberg Maritime, Laros by Prisma Electronics, Marine Traffic and North of England P&I Club.

Transas received the SMART4SEA Technology Award, sponsored by Tototheo Group, for offering a new simulation concept THESIS (Transas Harmonised Eco System of Integrated Solutions) which facilitates ship, shore and ports to access real-time operation critical data simultaneously that allows for decision-making and responsibility to be shared. Other short-listed nominees for this category were: ABS Nautical Systems, Danaos, Nanophos and SpecTec.

2017 SMART4SEA Conference

Mr. Apostolos Belokas, Founder and Managing Editor of SAFETY4SEA and Panel Moderator, opened the forum by welcoming speakers and delegates and outlining the objectives of the event towards fostering smart and sustainable shipping. Presentations were given in four panels and ended with a round table discussion and exchange with the audience.

Panel 1: Smart Shipping Perspectives

Apostolos Belokas, Founder & Managing Editor, SAFETY4SEA, opened the forum presenting the results of “the Smart Shipping Survey’’ which revealed that cyber security, crew training using new technologies & software, energy management & emissions monitoring, e-navigation and ECDIS are the major smart challenges that the industry has to deal with. Mr. Belokas argued that there is need for the shipping to build cyber awareness momentum to move forward. Regarding autonomous shipping, the survey showed that the majority of the participants believe that it will become a reality for the industry beyond 2030. Mr. Belokas commented that two years ago many would argue that industry is far away from this vision and highlighted that autonomous shipping is now coming fast and it is a one-way street.

Drew Brandy, Senior Vice President Market Strategy, Inmarsat Maritime, gave a presentation on ‘’Embracing a new world of smarter connected shipping”. He noted that as maritime communication is going through a revolution, the possibility of a truly connected ship and seamless real-time integration with shore-based operations is no longer just concept, but a reality. He therefore explained how connectivity at sea is more than just about communication and how the industry is embracing a new world of safer, smarter, greener and more efficient shipping.

Giampero Soncini, Director, Volaris Marine Division, shared his concerns on “The present and future of Fleet management Systems“. He explained that currently the idea of crewless vessels has become a serious one, from a laughable topic, with large companies and Classification Societies looking deeply and really into it. On the other hand, technology is moving fast and at times it is somewhat pitiful to look into the world of shipping, compared to other similar transportation sectors. However, there are still so many companies reluctant to embrace technology or they show sheer ignorance of the advantages. Mr Soncini argued that his 30 year-old experience has shown that having a computerized Fleet Management system onboard will be of value. Yet, the lesson is clear: sooner or later, those who have not embraced technology will disappear.

Tasos Makris, IT Director, Gourdomichalis Maritime, focused on the “Software Quality in the Maritime Sector”. Without any doubt, he said, the quality of software on board vessels needs improvements: less bugs, easier to use, easier to learn, easier to remember, preventing errors, help stored locally on board, better facilities to report errors. Mr Makris noted that the advances made on the maritime communications and bridge equipment during the last decade, have not been matched so far by improvements on the on-board software. He referred to a research conducted by AMMITEC among its members which gathered the 15 most important guidelines that apply to maritime software with the aim to enhance quality. Concluding his presentation, he informed the delegates that AMMITEC intends to start a campaign to raise stakeholders’ awareness of the benefits of quality software onboard and ashore.

Panel 2: Smart Perspectives II

Frank Coles, CEO, Transas, provided insight into “The Smart Connected Ship, Big Data and Cybersecurity towards Smart shipping”. Mr Coles pointed out that with all the talk about smart ships, automation and even unmanned ships there remains three key elements that need to be resolved: the ecosystem in which they would operate, the connectivity that they require and the overall cybersecurity picture. The first is currently dysfunctional, the second is expensive and not fit for purpose and the third is simply open and exposed and misunderstood. Mr. Coles urged to rethink the whole concept of ship operations by learning from other industries, dropping some traditional concepts and accepting challenge of change.  He further discussed the current state, the risks, requirements for resolution and suggested a new eco system that will enable shipping in the future.

Howard Hughes, Chief Technology Officer, Tototheo Group, presented the current “Cyber Security Trends” noting that even the name has been changed over the years; formerly it was known as IT Security, or to some, just the use of a Firewall. Whatever the name, the seriousness of the subject has intensified. Now with everyday access to the internet and social media, propagation of misinformation and harmful contents can be passed around with great ease, he added. A Firewall is no longer the total solution. In his presentation, Mr. Hughes covered the activity in the world of cyber security for the past 12 months, and investigated how this has affected the maritime world.

Jordan Wylie, Communications Officer, Be Cyber Aware at Sea Campaign, gave a presentation entitled ‘’Is Online the New Frontline?’’ where he highlighted the importance of the human factor in managing the cyber risk at sea. With most cyber and information security breaches on board being a direct result of human erro, Mr Wylie informed the audience that awareness and training should be the starting point for all ship owners as we advance further into the digital era of shipping. Mr Wylie spoke about the Be Cyber Aware At Sea campaign and demonstrated that ship-owners do not need to invest huge amounts of capital to start mitigating this emerging risk, they just need to change their attitude towards cyber and address the challenges from the board room through to the engine room, he stated that online is the new frontline and fortune favors the prepared.

Eric Knaapen, Regional Sales Manager Europe, Honeywell Sensing & Productivity Solutions, focused on the “Future of Maintenance & Inspection”. He highlighted that for effective maintenance and inspection there is need for defined process and steps, structured data input & output, hand-busy & eyes busy environment and finally guidance & documentation. During his presentation, Mr Knaapen provided a good sense of how his company solution is able to help and improve business performance with a specific focus around various workflow processes.

Panel 3: e-Navigation

Torsten Galaske, Service Sales Manager, Marine Solutions, Wärtsilä Electrical and Automation, investigated the “Future of safe navigation“. He noted that most navigational accidents due to human error have a root cause in cognitive workload, information overload and automation. Therefore, he suggested, the focus should be on new ways to collect, file and merge information, present information unambiguously and have adaptive supportive automation. He also said that future navigation includes augmented reality and bridge design supporting Bridge Resource Management.

Ulf Siwe, Communications Officer, STM Validation, explained the importance of “Containerisation of maritime information“. Mr Siwe stated that containers have revolutionized the efficiency in goods handling. It was the standardization in the 60s that made it possible for the whole industry could build cost-effective systems for loading and storing and much more. Sea Traffic Management has introduced a similar approach for maritime information; real-time data is the “container”. Mr. Siwe suggested setting the standards, creating open interfaces and providing a solid infrastructure. Route Exchange is the first standard with potential to increase safety and efficiency in double-digit numbers, he stated.

Konstantinos Seretis, Projects and Product Development Manager, SRH Marine Electronics S.A, referred to “ECDIS and Digital Products as part of E-Navigation“. He briefly explained the e-navigation concept; it includes the harmonized collection, integration, exchange, presentation and analysis of marine information on board and ashore by electronic means, therefore, ECDIS & Digital Products have major role. Two other very important elements are Training and Support required for both Hardware and Software. Mr. Seretis highlighted that “e-Navigation” concept is moving forward within next years on the basis of “Paper” to “Digital” World transition. This change has not been concluded yet. It is coming more and more, fully based on ECDIS, ENCs and Digital Products full implementation, he said.

Willy Zeiler, Marketing & Communications Manager, NAVTOR AS, addressed concerns regarding “e Navigation, ECDIS & Autonomous Ships“. Mr Zeiler highlighted that e-Navigation is central to delivering tomorrow’s technology, but its powerful benefits can be exploited today. Using data as a facilitator, it simplifies tasks, reduces workloads, enhances safety and environmental performance, and delivers real economic advantages for the industry. Autonomous vessels are a natural step forward for the discipline, with connected, digitized ships that perform with optimal efficiency, safety and security. Whether they switch to full autonomy or not, he suggested that e-Navigation will soon become central to the voyages of all seagoing vessels; that is a science fact, he finally stated.

Panel 4: Energy Efficiency

Peter Mantel, Managing Director, BMT Smart Ltd, focused on ‘’Fleet Performance Management’’ which has finally come of age, and is now recognized as a key part of every shipping company’s operations. Advances in technology, connectivity and data collection have made the Fleet Performance Management Industry more complex. Consequently, many ship owners are neither seeing the results that Fleet Performance Management can deliver, nor getting a return from their investment. Despite early wins for many ship owners around Fleet Performance Management, there is still a significant opportunity to make game changing performance gains, Mr Mantel commented. He further highlighted that shipping needs to modernise and changes are required the way the industry works from Fleet Performance Management (FPM) to Managed Fleet Performance (MFP) by providing a complete managed service.

Antony Vourdachas, Senior Engineer, ABS, gave a presentation on “Analyzing Big Data –Managing data flows and using the information“. He argued that international regulations and operational costs are key drivers in today’s shipping industry in terms of vessel performance. Increasing regulatory compliance requirements add complexity to an already challenged market, while the volume of the data to satisfy such regulatory reporting is increasing. In parallel, the proliferation of low cost sensor technology and the interlinking of systems onboard a vessel have further increased the volume of data being collected and needing to be analyzed, he added. This leads to a challenge when handling, storing, analyzing and presenting such “big data”.  Mr. Vourdachas addressed some of these challenges and potential solutions to have in mind.

Bastian Gehnke, Vessel and Fleet performance Technical Product Manager, INTERSCHALT Maritime Systems, presented the “Practice of data driven decision making for an improved fleet performance management“. Mr. Gehnke said customer’s experience has showed that turning data into knowledge is the main challenge of big data. Based on facts and figures out of practice, he explained how shipping owners make use out of collected data. Different use cases were shown and the process of automated performance analysis was also presented.

Panos Theodossopoulos, CEO, Propulsion Analytics, gave a presentation entitled “Big Data or Smart Data? The case of engine performance monitoring“ providing his view on the balance between shipping industry needs and technology trends, by focusing on this case. The use of data analytics, physical models and human expertise was presented as the optimum combination in order to achieve useful and actionable results for the ship operator. He commented this approach forms the basis of a new cooperation between the company and the engine developers Winterthur Gas & Diesel, for the development of an on-board system that ensures the engine is running in the most efficient way, minimizes downtime and supports the on-board crew with troubleshooting

Finally Apostolos Belokas, Forum Chairman, thanked the delegates for their participation, the sponsors and supporters for their support and the speakers for their excellent presentations and also the organizing team of the event for their contribution towards forum objectives.

Find more details at 2017 SMART4SEA Conference & Awards dedicated webpage here

  Video Presentations: All presentations will be made available on YouTube in high resolution approx. one week after the event at the  SMART4SEA Channel   

 Event Photos:  Available at SMART4SEA Flickr

 Paper Magazine Coverage: Event will be covered on the next SAFETY4SEA Log due to be issued on Spring 2017!

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