Recognising that an appropriate regulatory regime is key to the operation of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), eight IMO member states have come together to form the MASSPorts, an initiative promoted by Singapore to achieve alignment of standards for the trials and operation of MASS in ports.
At a virtual meeting held this week, objectives including detailed guidelines, common terminology, ship reporting and data exchange, and facilitating port-to-port trials were set out.
The strategic direction of the IMO's strategic plan (2018-2023) is to "Integrate new and advancing technologies in the regulatory framework".
This involves balancing the benefits derived from new and advancing technologies against safety and security concerns, the impact on the environment and on international trade facilitation, the potential costs to the industry, and finally their impact on personnel, both on board and ashore.
Most predictions are that autonomous or semi-autonomous operation would be limited to short voyages, for example from one specific port to another, across a short distance.