Cost control in shipping tech is no longer about trimming budgets at the margins. It is becoming a strategic weapon. That shift is front and centre for Chakib Abi Saab, chief technology and innovation officer at Lloyd’s Register, who argues that owners and operators are increasingly willing to commit capital when technology is clearly linked to outcomes. “Cost control has shifted from being defensive to strategic,” Abi Saab says. “When tech is tied to measurable outcomes like emissions, safety, compliance, or speed to market, we’re seeing a different level of commitment. The mindset has matured from trying new tools to backing the right capabilities.” That change in thinking underpins how Lloyd’s Register is approaching technology in the year ahead. Abi Saab believes the next wave of progress will be less about eye-catching pilots and more about execution at scale. “We’re moving beyond pilots into real platforms,” he says. “AI, edge intelligence, and digital twins are starting to shift from experiment to execution. The breakthrough won’t come from a single technology. It will come from connecting physical, digital, and decision-making layers into systems that drive outcomes at speed.” The mindset has matured from trying new tools to backing the right capabilities According to Abi Saab, the competitive advantage will lie with those who can orchestrate these layers effectively. “The players who master that orchestration will move fast,” he says. Inside Lloyd’s Register, AI is already embedded in day-to-day operations rather than ringfenced as a future concept. Abi Saab stresses that the focus is firmly on practical value. “We are applying AI where it creates real value for our people and our clients,” he says. “Through the Nuclear Accelerator, we have already delivered practical solutions such as automated email triage that improves how we respond to technical queries and client requests.” Tools such as Microsoft Copilot are now widely used across the organisation. “Copilot is now being used across our teams to help with content creation, documentation, and knowledge sharing, giving people more time to focus on higher-value work,” he says. Abi Saab is keen to underline that these systems are already operational. “These are not trials or experiments. They are active tools that make us faster, more accurate, and more connected,” he says. “What matters is not the technology itself but how deeply it is integrated into everyday processes.” The next phase will push AI further into decision support and operational workflows. “Through our breakthrough initiative, we will expand AI into areas where it brings genuine benefit,” he says. “We are focusing on workflows that are repetitive, data intensive, or require faster decision support. The goal is not automation for its own sake. It is about giving our people sharper tools and creating systems that learn and adapt over time.” Across shipping more broadly, Abi Saab believes the industry is still only scratching the surface. “Many have explored it, but few have scaled it into how they actually operate,” he says. “The real transformation will come when AI becomes part of the daily rhythm of work rather than a separate project.” That shift towards embedded technology is also reshaping Lloyd’s Register’s workforce. Abi Saab describes a more blended organisational model emerging. “We are building more integrated teams,” he says. “People with deep domain knowledge are now working alongside data experts a