Page 33: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 2020)

SHIP CLASSIFICATION & COVID-19 “ClassNK believes that the current situation ... may trigger or accelerate transition away from time-based, periodic surveys towards risk-based survey schemes.”

Takeshi Okamoto,

Corporate Offcer and General

Manager of EOD, ClassNK

ClassNK tracting and retaining great people, cre- ensuring technology’s potency is tem- Nilssen perhaps best summarizes the ating modern, highly effcient business pered by human needs.” future course of class and maritime by processes and innovating with digital While Brown agrees on the further in- looking back a few hundred years. “It’s technologies to deliver powerful new vestment in and advancement of digital almost like the Renaissance period be- services that drive safety and operational solutions, long-term he said the industry tween the 1400-1700s, with societies performance gains for the industry, pro- cannot take its gaze from decarboniza- coming out of the middle ages, a time vides a strong foundation. Nothing that tion. “We will continue our investments when everything was re-discovered and has happened changes this approach.” in digitizing our services so that it be- looked at with fresh eyes,” said Ørbeck-

While Wiernicki concurs that the digi- comes more the norm rather than the ex- Nilssen. “All was geared toward making tal path is clear, he offers a caveat. “What ception. This would lead to traditional a better life across art, culture … across is clear is that while digital technologies physical attendance surveys becoming everything … and I think this is very have already permanently altered some enhanced and supplemented by remote much going to be the impact on shipping of the fundamental realities of the ma- surveys and data, through the use of digi- and maritime. Everything will be looked rine and offshore industries, there is still tal technology such as digital twins.” In at with new eyes, it’s going to be a re- a considerable way to go. Thanks to ad- addition, LR maintains that the climate naissance for the maritime world and I vances such as telemedicine, high-speed emergency is an event of the same mag- think we’ll have a lot of innovation and broadband communications and AI- nitude, “just with a different time domain new ideas; things that we’ve traditionally based technical assistants, vessels and to COVID-19.” done for years simply will not hold up, it platforms far out at sea, though still off With hindsight being ‘20/20’, Ørbeck- will be put to the test.” in the distance, are far less isolated than they used to be,” said Wiernicki. “At the same time, however, digital technolo-

MAG DRILLS & ANNULAR CUTTERS gies are also transforming the nature of risk. Their seemingly limitless potential

From small lightweight low profile mag drills to large to create positive change is accompanied multi-speed models and a wide range of annular by an equal and opposite potential to cutters, Hougen has the power, performance & solutions for your holemaking needs.

generate fresh hazards.” “This has given rise to a challenge unprecedented in maritime history — not only are digital sources of risk both intangible and invisible, but the con- sequences they can conjure range from costly to catastrophic. As a result, safety 800-426-7818 SERVICE • INTEGRITY • RELIABILITY HOUGEN.COM leadership in this changing world means www.marinelink.com 33

Hou-728-Maritime-2020.indd 1 12/19/19 8:54 AM