17 January 2023 (Lloyd's List) - A SURVEY has confirmed the widespread sentiment that while technological innovation is a good thing, the cost of digital transformation is thought to be too high. Of respondents to the industry study conducted by Wärtsilä Voyage, 78% were positive about digitalisation and 70% were clear about its benefits, however 56% believed the necessary investment is exorbitant. The survey asked about respondents’ understanding of how digital solutions would complicate or support the push for decarbonisation, and attitudes to highly automated vessels. While 89% of respondents agreed that minimising carbon dioxide emissions is an important driver for regulation in the industry, 37% said they were doing “the minimum amount necessary” to be compliant with new regulation. Wärtsilä Voyage noted that although decarbonisation is clearly at the forefront of the International Maritime Organization’s agenda, “many organisations are facing other critical challenges in the here and now rather than the seemingly distant future”. These challenges include supply and demand imbalances, equipment and crew shortages, cyber security and rising costs. Organisations need support to balance present risks and challenges alongside the wider demands of the industry, the company said, adding: “Decarbonisation as the only important priority is a myth that needs to be dispelled if we are to achieve the urgent goals of climate change.” The survey was conducted across the three main geographical regions, with ferry and cruise sectors (35% and 17% respectively) carrying double the weight of commercial merchant shipping (27%). There was an equal representation from deck (15% captains and 15% deck officers) and engine officers (also 15%), and senior executives (C-suite 4%, vice-presidents 2%, directors 13% and managers 27%). Asked about future outlay, two-thirds of respondents saw a need to increase investment levels to meet future regulatory requirements and drive commercial success. However, there was a clear discrepancy between what maritime professionals think regulation should address (seafarer welfare was top with 75%) and what regulatory bodies are prioritising (CII and EEXI). “Do regulators need to pay more attention to seafarer welfare to enable them to succeed with other initiatives?” said Wärtsilä Voyage. “It’s clear that all these issues intersect, again proving that a more holistic view is needed.” Of those who responded, 57% believe regulations make their job more challenging, with 45% criticising regulators for not doing enough to consult with stakeholders before defining new regulations. Among the insightful conclusions of this survey was that digital technology will be critical for the industry as the global pool of seafarers evolves away from developing economies, and that collaboration between the brands, managers, owners, operators, ports, and seafarers must be improved. Wärtsilä Voyage’s Smart Vessel vice-president Michael Christiansen told Lloyd’s List that a change of mindset is needed in shipping from hugely expensive investments that pay back over many years to “platforms on which you can build functionality”. Digitalisation is a “continuous improvement journey”, he said, with a small upfront investment that enables incremental steps to be taken. He said the survey had been helpful in putting metrics on issues that had previously only been known by intuition. He saw a greater maturity in the industry regarding digitalisation, while digital strategies are becoming clearer. Wärtsilä Voyage’s investment in the test vessel Ahti had given customers the opportunity to see digital solutions in practice and experience the step-wise approach to digitalisation. “Many people see decarbonisation as new fuels and huge expense, but digitalisation can help with short-term improvements.”