Page 61: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 2019)

OVER 60 YEARS OF “You are beginning to see that

CUSTOMER CONFIDENCE (technology) creep up into things like The Poseidon Prin- ciples, which essentially brings the shipping technology and ? nance worlds together as you look at the next generation of vessels and the banks start benchmarking the con- ditions of ? nance.”

GLADDING-HEARN

SHIPBUILDING

Duclos Corporation

Christopher J. Wiernicki

ABS Chairman, President and CEO gladding-hearn.com

The Future of Fuel ership is particularly evident in the case

With ever stricter emission mandates of fast-emerging cyber security threats.

comes discussion and research on future “ABS was the ? rst classi? cation soci- maritime fuels. ety to really embrace the importance of “You can get to 2030 (and the 40% CO2 cyber security. Cyber is the safety system reductions for cargo transport) by focus- that you can’t necessarily see,” said Wi- ing on LNG as a fuel, speed optimiza- ernicki. tion and ‘just-in-time shipping’ which is “Historically we work well in the struc- improving the utilization of the voyage,” tures and the equipment areas, based tra- said Wiernicki. But hitting aggressive tar- ditionally on things that you can see. In gets for 2050 is another matter. the digital world safety and security is “When we talk about the fuel choices based on things you can’t necessarily see of the future, it’s not LNG, Methane, Eth- … the software and the data.” ane or Ammonia … it is ideas. It’s being With the cumulative issues, challenges able to collectively take ideas and pull and complex technological discussions them together,” said Wiernicki. A collec- for the industry today, in Wiernicki’s tive challenge is moving forward it’s not mind it all boils down to safety.

going to be a single, obvious fuel solu- “Technology is interesting, I’m a tion. “It’s going to be a hybrid solution, technologist. But the purpose of tech- it’s going to be a combination of things nology is to unlock economic val- with a greater focus on operational per- ue. Technology has no sense of hu- formance, which is where digitalization mor, it has no common sense and it comes in to help ship owners make better has no instincts. It’s people,” he said. informed decisions.” “The challenge for this industry going forward is being able to marry traditional

ABS’ Future skill sets with non-traditional skill sets.

As the industry changes, naturally class It’s people. As a class society we have en- must change too. “We at ABS are going gineers and surveyors sitting side-by-side through a digital transformation,” said with a whole new breed of people we’ve

Wiernicki. “We are progressively moving never recruited before: data scientists, toward the future of class that is evolv- systems engineers, computer scientists, ing from a calendar-based survey cycle to risk engineers.” a condition-based cycle,” citing its large Shipping companies in general in this pilot project in progress today with Mili- industry traditionally have been orga- tary Sealift Command, taking that entire nized vertically; going forward they are ? eet and switching it from a calendar- going to have to be organized horizon- based survey to a condition-based survey tally. You are going to see connectivity cycle. between vendors, yards, class and others.

Speaking of digital, he said ABS’ lead- You are going to need people to do this.”

MR #10 (59-65).indd 61 10/7/2019 3:44:49 PM