Shipping is Entering the Fifth Industrial Revolution, Says ABS Chief

Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to revolutionize shipping by enhancing safety and efficiency, Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman and CEO, said, while also noting the growing importance of the human touch in this high-tech era.

“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,” Wiernicki said, as he delivered the guest lecture for the National University Singapore’s Master of Science in Maritime Technology and Management program.

In a wide-ranging lecture detailing how maritime moves and shapes the world as well as exploring the challenges and disruptive technologies driving rapid change in shipping, he explained how the industry is an interconnected system of systems.

“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. We’ve seen this with the pandemic, geopolitical situations, evolving regulations, and even new technologies,” Wiernicki said.

He explained that shipping is now undergoing a transformation shaped by innovations in naval architecture, green technology and digital technology, all enabling a new industrial revolution.

“To navigate Maritime 5.0, we must be mindful of the key variables in the global maritime shaping equation such as innovation and technology and how safety is now more than just compliance. It is now synonymous with security, reliability, collective relationships and people,” Wiernicki said.

He explained that embracing a fully digital operating model will fundamentally alter the nature of safety.

“Safety going forward will not be defined as just the absence of accidents but as the new equation of capacity and capability over demand,” he said. “The new equation has systems thinking, well trained people and percentage usage of digital in the numerator representing capacity and capability. Demand is in the denominator representing the complexity of an evolving decarbonization trajectory and rapidly changing technology environment. Our future safety protection frontier is defined as the place where capacity and capability equal demand. Safety is becoming more synonymous with cybersecurity and reliability.”

Wiernicki concluded, “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.”