Representatives from major maritime technology companies gathered in London on Tuesday for the inaugural meeting of the Smart Maritime Council, a new initiative created by the Smart Maritime Network to support collaboration and standardization in the development of IT systems for the shipping sector.

Smart Maritime Network was formed in January 2019 to promote the benefits of enhanced integration and data sharing among stakeholders within the maritime and transport logistics sectors. A core element of the initiative is the creation of a Smart Maritime Council consisting of maritime technology developers, systems integrators and other key stakeholders, which will hold a series of meetings to discuss areas of mutually beneficial collaboration on issues relating to the compatibility, standardization and harmonization of the technology used in the modern shipping industry.

Vessel operators are also represented within the membership, to provide the end-user’s perspective on maritime technology development and to help to guide the Council’s discussions by making sure that shipping companies’ real-world operational requirements play a central role in future IT development.

The Smart Maritime Council will hold a further five meetings in 2019, each taking place in a different global maritime center. Conclusions from these meetings on the direction of future technology development, and guidance on improving systems integration, will be shared with the wider maritime industry through a series of four regional conferences to be held throughout the year, beginning in Athens on May 9.

The Greece-based Association of Maritime Managers in Information Technology and Communications (AMMITEC), a non-profit organization representing the interests of vessel IT managers in the world’s biggest shipowning nation, is one of the Council’s founding members. Katerina Raptaki, IT Manager of the Navios Group of Companies and AMMITEC board member, commented: “As Steve Jobs used to say, ‘The only way to do great work is to love what you do’, and these people love their work. They are passionate and devoted to it.”

“I trust that this new initiative will exceed our expectations and offer the shipping industry a new forum for research, knowledge sharing and new opportunities in such a demanding, highly collaborative, challenging and rapidly progressing environment.”

The founding members of the Smart Maritime Council include:

ABB
AMMITEC
Ceragon
Cobham SATCOM
Danish Ship Finance
Dell EMC
Dualog
IB – Influencing Business
Inmarsat
Intellian
JLT
KNL Networks
Kongsberg
MSC
Monohakobi Technology Institute
Sperry Marine
Wallem
Wärtsilä