Attendees of the Seatrade Offshore Marine & Workboats Middle East (SOMWME) conference in Singapore next month will find their attentions largely focused on how to fix a massive shortfall in qualified maritime officers.
The crisis is one that has been brewing for some time. Between retirees and downturn in the maritime industry at large, businesses are struggling to find a way to stop hemorrhaging a skilled workforce. Emma Howell, Group Marketing Manager for Seatrade portfolio at UBM EMEA, said the shortfall could reach as high as 147,000 officers by 2025.
Experts, however, hope to use the upcoming conference to promote both automation and connectivity advances as a means forward. Representatives of Mission to Seafarers, The Nautical Institute, Elektrans Group and the Shipowners Club will all speak on a panel addressing the issue, even if automation itself isn’t a new concept in the industry. What has changed is its level of sophistication.
“The increasing sophistication of technology is opening the door to serious discussions about the remote control of ships, perhaps one day leading to completely autonomous vessels,” Captain John Lloyd, CEO of the Nautical Institute, said. “While moving in this direction gives wonderful opportunities to improve reliability, one of the key challenges will be to balance the cost of reliability against performance and financial viability through savings.”
The conference will also feature discussions of finance and law, as well as the potential for green and efficient vessels in the future of the maritime industry.