Forum calls for cyberresilient ship design

The shipping industry needs to design ships differently and be more technologically innovative to reach world climate goals and counter cyber security risks. That was the conclusion of the recent annual Tripartite Shipbuilding Forum which focused on decarbonisation of ships, safe design and digitalisation. The shipping industry urgently needs new ship designs, equipment, propulsion systems and alternative fuels to achieve the CO2 reduction goals established by the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the specific objectives to be established for international shipping by the UN IMO as part of its GHG reduction strategy. It was agreed that the industry should use all available technology to a much greater extent, and increase technological innovation to reduce CO2 emissions to the ambitious degree required by the international community. The forum has therefore established inter-industry working groups with the aim of developing a better understanding of current research and development efforts for the new technologies needed by the shipping sector to realise its vision for zero CO2 emissions this century. The impact of recent cyberattacks was also a key focus, bringing into sharp relief the potential threats facing the industry. When it comes to ship design and construction, it was generally agreed that the industry needed to adopt new methods and standards to create more resilient digital systems on board.