Revolution by evolution

Filip Koscielecki, of the UK P&I Club, considers a market ripe for a boom

Autonomous shipping is looking ever more likely to be the future of the maritime industry. The use of robots in shipping is not new but rapidly advancing technology towards crewless and remotely controlled vessels has fast-forwarded the need to consider its regulatory framework. Legal concerns are only natural as the autonomous shipping market was estimated to be worth US$6.1 billion in 2018 and is expected to expand exponentially, reaching $136 billion by 2030. The exciting development of a “smart ship” will revolutionise the landscape of ship design and operations, but this revolution will come with many challenges.