Big Data Management in the Shipping Industry: Examining Strengths Vs Weaknesses and Highlighting Relevant Business Opportunities

History testifies that there is a dialectic relationship between humans and technology. Especially during the last couple of decades, the shipping industry has benefitted from a very extended number of advanced technology innovations. Today, all systems supporting the conduct of navigation and the various information technology (IT) applications related to ship management activities are heavily reliant upon (almost) real-time information to safely/effectively fulfil their allocated tasks. As a result, truly vast quantities of data -which are often described as “Big Data” in the wider literature- are created and the issue of how to effectively manage all the associated information is clearly standing out. Furthermore, topics such as optimising the conduct of all relevant activities on-board the vessel at sea, identifying the right opportunities in order to further promote business and boost profits, or even contributing to the numerous elements of sustainability by achieving reductions in energy consumption and/or a better environmental footprint for shipping, should all be researched further. Considering the quite limited capacity of the human brain to process really enormous quantities of data in comparison to modern computers, the trend to use advanced software tools for extracting and processing the “right” information that is often hidden in the vast pool of Big Data, as well as relying on advanced techniques and algorithms to perform the relevant statistical analysis becomes quite obvious. The purpose of this paper, which follows a qualitative approach working in unison with a “Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats” (SWOT) analysis, is to identify and briefly discuss the most relevant tools and techniques that are associated with Big Data Management. It will also clearly highlight the various benefits that are opening up and will try to explain the notion behind this transition to a new era, characterized by the term “smart shipping”. A very important conclusion is that the exploitation of Big Data and the role of certain software applications in accessing and managing this large volume of information are key factors for improving/optimising the conduct of ship operations and management; establishment of a “Data Driven Culture” within a shipping company can clearly improve the current business model and at the same time promote sustainabilit

Security dimension of the maritime energy management: A naval perspective

In a strategic environment that is increasingly shaped by the forces of glo­balization, the navies need to be prepared for a wide range of contingencies. Many of these contingencies will arise from challenges that have little in common with traditional notions of security: cyber attacks can cause massive damage without a single shot being fired; terrorist attacks can have a psychological impact that far outweighs their immediate physical effect; the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction can lead to unpredict­able power shifts; and other threats to secured energy management. Energy is essential for virtually all aspects of modern life – a fact that makes it a truly strategic com­modity with numerous implications for international security. Indeed, the political, economic and security challenges surrounding energy are both numerous and profound: Europe’s increas­ing dependency on oil and gas imports; the growing energy needs of rising powers such as China and India; political instability in many energy-producing and transit states; territorial disputes involving the quest for energy and other resources; terrorist attacks against refin­eries, pipelines and power plants; piracy along critical maritime choke points; and cyber attacks against smart power grids and control systems. Finally, there is also the energy chal­lenge of military operations: the logistical and financial burden is constantly increasing, thus making the introduction of energy efficiency measures a strategic imperative. This paper discusses existing international frameworks to protect the maritime transport of energy and provides specific recommendations to better enable the expeditious and safe flow of energy on the water

Maritime Surveillance in the Gulf of Suez: Identifying Opportunities for Future Improvements

The Gulf of Suez (GOS) is one of the most important waterways in the world. Furthermore, issues like maritime safety, avoidance of accidents and effective conduct of navigation, as well as protection of the marine environment in the GOS are always among the highest priorities of Egyptian legislators. As a result, maritime surveillance in the area under discussion is facilitated by a technologically advanced Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) that has been established by the competent authority as a cost-effective measure to reduce and mitigate risks in accordance with international standards and guidelines. The main aim of this paper is to discuss the status of the GOS VTMS and identify relevant opportunities for improvement. This effort utilizes qualitative primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected by employing in-depth, semi-structured interviews; secondary data was sourced from relevant national legislations, IMO, IALA and UK hydrographic office publications. Thus, the distinctive features of the GOS VTMS along with its degree of compliance with international standards and guidelines have been closely examined for a comprehensive assessment. A conclusion standing out is that GOS’ VTMS is a very powerful tool for a more efficient conduct of navigation, with a positive contribution on maritime safety and the protection of the marine environment; however, certain gaps that must be addressed in the near future were identified. A portfolio of the necessary recommendations on how to improve the system’s overall performance are also provide

The international convention for the safety of life at sea: highlighting interrelations of measures towards effective risk mitigation

Safety is often described as freedom from unacceptable risk. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) since its establishment has consistently been working towards mitigation of risks at sea by implementing measures through specific legal Instruments. The IMO’s principle Instrument with this focus is the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended (SOLAS). By identifying and examining a wide range of risks that must be addressed in order to ensure the safe operations of ships at sea, the chapters of SOLAS provide the necessary mitigation measures. This paper goes on to discusses three specific risks among those being mitigated by SOLAS, which are a) structural integrity and stability related risks; b) fire risk and c) navigational risk. The reason for this choice is quite simple: analysis of past statistics from shipping incidents databases clearly indicates that these risks are recorded with the highest numbers; with statistics testifying that navigational risk is linked to the greatest number of accidents. A conclusion clearly standing out is that the various measures being put forward by SOLAS and the associated supporting Codes work in a complementary manner and together have provided a positive contribution towards the safety of personnel, environment and property

Cyber security training strategy: dealing with maritime SCADA risks

Control systems on board ships collect sensor measurements and data from various operational activities and display all the relevant information; they also facilitate relaying of control commands to local or remote equipment. Distributed control systems (DCS) are typically used within a single process or generating plant; supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems are used for larger-scale environments. The SCADA system communications infrastructure tends to be slower and less reliable, and so the remote terminal unit in a SCADA system has local control schemes to handle that eventuality. Security in general and cyber security specifically were not the major concerns of early standalone maritime SCADA systems. Security was primarily achieved by controlling physical access to system components, which were unique and used proprietary communication protocols. For years, security in SCADA systems was viewed as just an implication of safety. Over the last decade, however, the situation has changed, and numerous standards/directives dealing with the cyber security of SCADA systems have emerged. Characteristics of maritime SCADA cyber security are discussed; related training needs are identified next. The pedagogical approaches are also presented in order to train seafarers in risk assessment, prevention and mitigation strategies related with maritime SCADA cyber security risks

Dealing with the need of Greek ports expansion: a public-private partnership opportunity?

Greece, located at the eastern portion of the Mediterranean Sea (Med) and a country with an enormous number of islands, is a shipping superpower. The Med is amongst the world’s busiest waterways. It provides access to the Black Sea and quite often it is characterized as the most important element of the transport chain between Asia and Europe. The Greek Prime-Minister himself has openly declared his strategic vision to transform the country into a major hub for Europe\u27s commerce; numbers of port-visits in the country under discussion are extremely high and expectations are that with the upcoming recovery of the Greek economy they will further increase. However, the current infrastructures -especially those of Piraeus and Thessaloniki (the largest and busiest ports of the Hellenic Republic)- are clearly in need of expansion. This paper briefly examines the framework of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and suggests that the specific methodology can provide a solution to overcome the need of financing for the various urgently needed projects that will allow the introduction of new and improved services towards various types of ships. The obvious conclusion is that with the Greek economy still in recession, the necessary framework that will allow the commencing of the technical works, such as the expansion of berths and storage facilities and the interconnections with highways and rail-lines, can be found only through partnerships of the government controlled port-authorities and large in size constructing companies of the private sector. These partnerships should be considered as a win-win situation for all parties involved. They provide an ideal opportunity for expanding infrastructures and/or services towards shipping without adding more to the already enormous government-guaranteed debt