Classification societies are set to play a key role in progressing the digitalisation of the shipping business through their survey, safety and environmental services.

Many members of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) are already providing electronic certification.

More recently, the pandemic has rapidly advanced digital processes in statutory survey work after many classification societies were forced by lockdown to conduct ship inspections remotely.

Classification societies are keen to build on this momentum and progress digitalisation into other areas of their services.

Real opportunity

Nick Brown, the current marine and offshore director at Lloyd’s Register, who has just been named as the company’s new chief executive, said: “This is a real opportunity to take a fresh look at how we do things.

“Necessity has forced the industry, at scale, to look beyond its traditional approach and engage with new technologies to harness the power of remote connections and keep the industry moving.”

Italy’s Rina has already issued remote survey class notations to formalise the standards required, and has carried out its first periodic survey using remote techniques.

IACS is working on developing a common approach to progress remote surveys in the industry among its members.

Nick Brown, the current marine and offshore director at Lloyd’s Register who has just been named as the company’s new chief executive, said the pandemic has given the classification business an opportunity to take a fresh look at how it operates. Photo: Lloyd's Register

Paolo Moretti, chief executive of Rina Services, said: “It is important we can demonstrate the same degree of quality as a traditional survey.”

But remote surveys are a very basic form of digitising ship data involving livestreaming, photographs and videos.

Modern ships now come fitted with a host of other high-tech sensors, including machinery, fuel efficiency and hull stress monitoring, which provide more detailed live data that is increasingly becoming part of the ship’s condition assessment.

Classification societies are now looking to combine these data sources to improve the financial performance of their client’s assets through artificial intelligence and predictive analysis techniques.

Such data is already being used in fuel efficiency monitoring but there are other possibilities.

Fresh insights

Andy McKeran, commercial director of marine at Lloyd’s Register, said data should no longer be looked at in “silos” but that combining the multiple data sources can provide fresh insights to improve performance.

“By aggregating siloed data and using analytics, we can provide insights and outcomes to clients that will reduce their overall operational expenditures and maintain their individual competitive advantage,” he said.

Moretti believes, in the future, the more successful classification societies will be the ones that can develop the potential data along with the shipowner.

“In the future, classification societies will be recognised in terms of the technical content they deliver to the client,” he said.

"Now, the client and customer relationship is seen as a partnership from the early stages."

'Digital twin'

The next stage of class’ digitalisation process is to combine ship data in the “digital twin” concept.

Classification societies are working towards merging the multiple data streams from ships to create a cloud-based digital twin of the ship that virtually replicates the real-time condition of the vessel.

DNV GL has developed a methodology for hull condition monitoring that involves the creation of a digital twin that reflects how the hull condition changes depending on operational, weather and sea conditions.

The idea is that by analysing data inputs through the digital twin, it will increase understanding of the long-term effects of operational factors on the strength of the hull to help extend the safe operating life of the ship.

“The increased transparency and control that the digital twin provides can even result in a competitive advantage by improving predictability.

“This makes the vessel more attractive to cargo owners, banks, insurance companies, class societies, vetting companies, investors, buyers and other stakeholders,” DNV GL said.

3D plans

France’s Bureau Veritas has started to work with shipyards on design-approval business based on a three-dimensional (3D) ship design model, rather than the traditional two-dimensional plan.

The 3D model is created at the design-approval stage, where it begins as the basis of a digital twin of the vessel that will be carried throughout the trading life of the ship.

This will allow surveyors to review the condition of the vessel by simply looking at the 3D representation on a tablet.

The idea is that the digital twin will provide a basis for communication between all the parties involved in the commercial operation and management of the vessel.

The long-term vision is for decisions on board to eventually be automated using data stored in the digital twin, in a concept that fits perfectly with moves towards fully-automated shipping.