Sea change

The autonomous shipping marketsize is estimated to be valued at $88bn in 2020. PhilipRoche and Peter McBurney discussthe challenges ahead surrounding data and IP rights

Philip Roche and Peter McBurney - Norton Rose Fulbright.

Shipping,in all its many sectors, is facing fundamental challenges which will change theway that ships operate at sea. The need to decarbonise, the increasing tide ofregulation, the shortage of good crew, difficult markets, more demanding anddisruptive customers and competition, the rise of Chinese shipping and theintroduction of increasing amounts of technology on ships are all playing theirpart in forcing this change. Autonomous vessels are not just being activelyconsidered to help meet these challenges – prototypes are being built andtesting is taking place at sea.