European shipowners welcome digitalisation of transport

London - In an announcement released by the the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), it is noted that European shipowners welcome the Transport Council’s conclusions on the digitalisation of transport adopted earlier this week. These conclusions emphasize the importance of digitalisation for the European economy and competitiveness and confirms the EU’s ambition to become a global leader in this area. “Digitalisation is already very present in our sector and we welcome the attention given to it by the Transport ministers”, commented Martin Dorsman, ECSA Secretary General.

ECSA added that it is crucial to keep in mind the importance of privacy, data protection and cyber security, as well as the new skills needs. Cyber Security will indeed be critical with the increased use of digital tools in the maritime industry. In a recent article, Transas CEO Frank Coles mentions that in order to realise the full potential of digitalisation, the maritime sector must focus on behavioural change by the human element. Failing to appreciate and understand properly how people – and by extension organisations – interface with new technology can lead to poor implementation and unnecessary exposure to risk.

(Source: Safety4sea)