Page 17: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2026)

Watch the full interview with

Samantha

Weckesser @ inspections. The platform analyzes vessel mani- Beyond risk scoring, Calypso also integrates fests container by container, assigning each unit work? ow tools designed to streamline the in- a risk score based on factors such as cargo type, spection process. The system can ingest vessel compliance with IMDG and CFR codes, ship- manifests, ? ag high-risk containers, and auto- ping history and other variables derived from matically generate documentation such as hold past failures. orders for ports, reducing friction between regulators, termi-

The goal is not to replace inspection regimes, but to make nals and operators.

them smarter. Regulators today face a scale problem. In the While Homer’s initial work has been closely aligned with

Port of New York and New Jersey alone, roughly 7.4 million government stakeholders, the company is increasingly target- containers move through annually, yet only about 2,400 are ing commercial applications. Shipowners, cargo interests and physically inspected, or roughly 0.0003% of total volume. insurers all have a vested interest in identifying risk earlier

That leaves signi? cant exposure, particularly when high-risk in the logistics chain, ideally before a container is ever load- cargo slip through undetected. ed aboard a vessel. For insurers in particular, the ability to

Calypso aims to close that gap by prioritizing which con- digitally assess cargo risk at scale could reshape underwriting tainers should be inspected. models. For carriers, it offers a pathway to reduce incidents “When a regulator goes out, they can focus on the contain- that can damage both assets and reputation.

ers most likely to fail,” Weckesser said. “The idea is to pull Homer remains a small operation — led by Weckesser and risk out of the system before something happens.” a systems engineering professor from her alma-mater Ste-

Early results suggest the approach has merit. Using pre- vens Institute of Technology — but it is backed by an advi- liminary data analysis, before the full system was even built, sory network of maritime industry veterans. The company is recommendations based on Homer’s ? ndings helped Coast now seeking partners to conduct full-scale testing of Calypso

Guard inspectors identify three times more de? ciencies dur- in live operational environments, a step Weckesser views as ing inspections. critical before broader commercialization. www.marinelink.com 17

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