In the second instalment of our brand new magazine, Maritime CEO canvasses the industry on all things tech. For Mikael Skov, who heads up Hafnia, the world’s largest product tanker owner, artificial intelligence emissions reduction and autonomous vessels are likely going to be the biggest tech breakthroughs in general in the industry due to their direct impact on both operational costs and environmental sustainability. “These advancements are not only technologically disruptive but also essential in addressing global challenges like climate change and maritime safety,” Skov tells Splash. AI is not just optimising routes or scheduling but actively driving carbon footprint reductions, he says. The potential to cut annual emissions through AI-powered navigation optimisation is a “game-changer”, aligning with global sustainability goals. By integrating with carbon-neutral initiatives, shipping companies can meet stringent environmental regulations while lowering costs, he maintains. “One of the significant trends in 2025 and beyond will likely be the integration of AI into the day-to-day operations of vessels,” says Tim Ponath, CEO of German owner NSB Group, a company that like Hafnia is carrying out various pilot projects in this area. “Most tech decisions and investments will focus on AI’s potential, including vessel hardware,” says Arthur English, CEO of Norwegian shipowner G2 Ocean. It’s not just owners interviewed for this magazine who see AI’s growing importance. AI is seen by Splash readers as the technology having the most significant impact on maritime operations in the coming 10 years in an ongoing survey being carried out in association with Inmarsat. AI beat out other tech making plenty of shipping headlines such as blockchain, Big Data analytics and Internet of Things in the survey that seeks to identify how ships will operate 10 years from now. The maritime industry must first address underlying challenges such as data standardisation, cybersecurity risks, and the need for skilled personnel “While AI presents huge opportunities, the maritime industry must first address underlying challenges such as data standardisation, cybersecurity risks, and the need for skilled personnel to manage AI-driven systems,” urges Niall Jack, director of product development at software provider Shipnet. The industry must fully embrace digital transformation – not just AI solutions – by investing in high-quality data infrastructure and cultural shifts toward digitisation, Jack argues. “Overpromising AI’s capabilities without resolving these foundational challenges may lead to suboptimal implementations and rejection of further new developments because of this,” Jack says. Beyond all the AI hype, Christian Råe Holm, the CEO of software provider Coach Solutions, cautions: “There is still a lot of talk around AI and machine learning, but apart from optimising manual internal processes, I do not see it replacing expert human advisory yet. Rather, I see the need for human expert support as even more important with the advent of AI, as it takes deep knowledge to see through the sometimes doubtful results coming out of the black box.” Overpromising AI’s capabilities without resolving foundational challenges may lead to suboptimal implementations Proactive maintenance “In 2025, technological advancements will continue to shape the industry, with AI maintaining its prominence as market-ready solutions for predictive maintenance,” says Vikrant Gusain, CEO of