The dawn of the Fifth Industrial Revolution in shipping is here

October 25, 2024, by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak

The shipping industry is currently undergoing a transformation shaped by innovations in naval architecture, green technology and digital technology, all enabling a new industrial revolution, according to Christopher J. Wiernicki, Chairman and CEO of class society ABS.

J. Wiernicki in Singapore lecture. Courtesy of ABS

Specifically, the Fifth Industrial Revolution or Industry 5.0 is a new phase of industrialization that puts cutting-edge technologies at the service of people and combines the roles of human beings and machines to complement and enhance each other’s strengths. It is characterized by the integration of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics into the manufacturing process.

According to ABS CEO, AI will drive shipping to be safer and more efficient while making the human element increasingly key.

“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.

He recently delivered a guest lecture for the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) 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 explained.

“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.”

Lack of digital processes in shipping complicates decarbonization game

Outlook & Strategy

He further said 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,” ABS CEO noted.

“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.”

“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,” Wiernicki concluded.

In related news, ABS research revealed earlier this year that geopolitical instability, scalability of fuel production and retrofits to existing vessels are key factors impacting the shipping industry’s journey to net zero by 2050.

The 2024 outlook investigated carbon-neutral fuel pathways and transformative technologies and features an update of ABS’ long-term energy forecast that explores the constraints and opportunities in the evolving global trade dynamics that will shape the future of shipping.