Young researcher indicates the adaptation of VR in maritime training for the post Covid-19 era.
Miss Stavrula Iliadi, an undergraduate student at Hult International Business School, London Campus, delivered her dissertation capstone with an outstanding research contribution on the adaptation of futuristic Interactive technologies in the maritime and shipping industry.
The dissertation titled ‘Effectiveness and Efficiency of the Implementation of Virtual Reality Training in the Maritime Industry’ is an in-depth analysis of the maritime and shipping industry training needs. It provides the transformation strategy needed towards the transition from physical, face to face, professional training with effective and efficient alternative training approaches such as the virtual and augmented reality.
The research of Miss Iliadi contributes and prepares the management and operations of the maritime and shipping industry for the post Covid-19 era. The world has changed, and management has changed as well. Distance learning and virtual training is not that distant and virtual anymore. In fact, they are a necessity and not an option.
Miss Stavrula Iliadi conducted research using a triangulation approach by integrating an extensive literature review with a survey and interviews. The literature review covered the state of the art on VR evolution and contribution in the maritime sectors as well the correlation of the maritime training needs with advances technologies. The survey studied and analysed the responses of 80 professional participants mostly with advanced education and extensive industry experience. The interviews were conducted with distinguished and respected personalities and experts in the maritime and shipping industry such as Mr. Dimitris Monioudis, General Manager of Rethymnis & Kulukundis Ship Management and president of HESGB; Capt. N. A. Aslanis,MBA, AFNI, MRIN, Chairman of the Nautical Institute Greek Branch and Senior Lecturer/Trainer and Maritime Consultant at SQ Learn (https://www.sqlearn.com/ ); and Mr. John Faraclas, Specialist in Maritime Affairs, Maritime Geopolitics, Consultant, Writer and Co-founder of the international maritime forum allaboutshipping.
The research results and the key recommendations of Miss Iliadi form an initial strategic management framework that can be adopted by maritime industry organizations and governments. The framework is based three pillars which are the integration of VR is national academic and vocational training maritime education; the introduction of the digital twins concept with the integration of VR and maritime training as transition phase prior the maturity or the technology and it acceptance by the industry; and the certification process of such training from national and international maritime and shipping organizations and authorities. These three pillars from a strategy that starts from the awareness to the education, to the certification, to the business transformation and to the obligation, to an extent, needed for the adaptation of the industry to the post Covid-19 period.
The dissertation of Miss Stavrula Iliadi was closely supervised by Professor Dr. Evangelos Markopoulos whose expertise on VR, AI and Maritime technologies helped Miss Iliadi deliver her research capstone.
Professor Dr. Evangelos Markopoulos holds a BSc, MSc, and a PhD in Computer Science, and teaches entrepreneurship and technical oriented management courses, as well as nano courses on Artificial Intelligence, Virtual and Augmented Reality and Autonomous Vehicles. Besides HULT and the other academic institutions he teaches (UCL and QMUL), he is also a Visiting Professor & TUAS Fellow of Applied Research and Innovation at the Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS), Faculty of Engineering and Business, Unit of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and member of the Research Group of Futuristic Interactive Technologies (FIT), Finland. Together with Professor Dr. Mika Luimula, Head of the TUAS FIR Research group and Game Lab, deliver research and develop the MarISOT (Maritime Immersive Oceans Technology) technology, a VR-AI Maritime Safety Training Platform.
Prof. Dr. Evangelos Markopoulos and Miss Stavrula Iliadi will continue this research to further enhance, validate and verify the results and the process models towards their publication in blind peer review international journals or conferences.
