The future of maritime information systems

By now, after reading the various articles on this site, you have probably understood that maritime information systems contain vulnerabilities. The real challenge is that the future of maritime information systems is being built while many of these vulnerabilities remain unresolved. It is a bit like adding extra floors to a house while the concrete of the ground floor has not yet fully set. In short, it is risky. Ships being built today are still insufficiently secured, yet they are designed to remain in service until around 2060.

Below are a few examples of what the future of maritime information systems might look like, illustrated through videos (which speak for themselves) from Rolls-Royce. I do not own any shares in the company—nor a car of the brand—but the firm has been particularly active in exploring the concept of autonomous ships. These videos present the manufacturer’s vision of the ships of tomorrow. Maritime information systems of the future promise to be both impressive and transformative.

The future remote command and maintenance center for autonomous vessels.

The cargo ship of the future