Posted on October 28, 2024
Christopher J. Wiernicki delivered a guest lecture on how rapid changes in shipping are driven by disruptive technologies and explained how the industry is an interconnected system of systems.
The ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki, delivered the lecture for the National University Singapore’s Master of Science in Maritime Technology and Management program, in which he explained that shipping is now undergoing a transformation.
This transformation according to Wiernicki, is shaped by innovations in naval architecture, green technology and digital technology, all enabling a new industrial revolution. Furthermore, he explained that embracing a fully digital operating model will fundamentally alter the nature of safety.
Maritime 5.0 will be defined by the ever-expanding capabilities of artificial intelligence, driving our complex industry to be safer, more efficient and more optimized, while emphasizing the increasing importance of the humans in the loop.
…said Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman and CEO.
Wiernicki explained that the maritime industry is a vast, interconnected web held together by complex relationships. If even one area of the logistical chain runs into challenges, the situation can cascade and affect the entire network as it has with the pandemic, geopolitical situations, evolving regulations, and even new technologies.
The ABS Chairman proceeded his lecture by saying that safety going forward will not be defined as just the absence of accidents but as the new equation of capacity and capability over demand. The new equation has systems thinking, well trained people and percentage usage of digital in the numerator representing capacity and capability, Wiernicki notes.
Wiernicki continued by saying that demand is in the denominator representing the complexity of an evolving decarbonization trajectory and rapidly changing technology environment. The future safety protection frontier is defined as the place where capacity and capability equal demand. Safety is becoming more synonymous with cybersecurity and reliability, according to the ABS Chairman and CEO.
To solve these equations, we must have a convergent mindset, which is two mindsets coming together. On one hand, you have the intersection of technical feasibility, economic viability and social responsibility. On the other is the intersection of national economic, energy and security strategies. With the right mindset, and by monitoring our progress, we can be ready for Maritime 5.0.
…Christopher J. Wiernicki concluded.
