5th International Ship Autonomy and Sustainability Summit - Draft programme

The Summit will continue to investigate autonomy in shipping and provide new insights on what is really meant by MASS (Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships).

What kind of autonomy is in demand? And to what extent? The expert panelists will demystify MASS and the future of seafaring, with a focus on the ‘human in the loop’ and the practical application of MASS The technology will likely mean different tasks for seafarers, impacting the profession, training and responsibilities The human technology interface will also be important when looking at how MASS can be integrated with ports and the hinterland in intelligent maritime transport systems The Summit will also look at recent developments in IMO and Flag states to examine how these will impact the use of MASS in international waters

Held for the first time in Germany, the event is co-organised by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Mobility and Transport and the Norwegian Forum for Autonomous Ships, and will be particularly relevant for maritime and inland shipping stakeholders.

Physical attendance and webstreaming will be available. Registration is required to receive the streaming link and for physical attendance. Please register by clicking on or scanning the QR-code below.

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Draft programme

0930: Welcome

Magda Kopczyńska | Director General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco | IMO Secretary General (video message)
Marianne Sivertsen Næss | Norwegian Minister for Fisheries and Ocean Policy (tbc)
Dr. Melanie Leonhard | Minister for Economy, City of Hamburg

1015: Setting the scene: Conclusions from the previous Summits

Ørnulf Jan Rødseth | Manager, Norwegian Forum for Autonomous Shipping (NFAS)
Fotini Ioannidou | Director Waterborne, DG MOVE, European Commission

1030: Keynote speech - Human supported by technology vs. technology supported by humans? Impact on the seafaring profession.

Prof. Jens-Uwe Schröder-Hinrichs | World Maritime University (WMU), Vice President (Academic Affairs)

1050: Debate 1: Demystifying MASS and the future of seafaring – will the human become redundant?

Moderator: European Commission

The human role in a ship-centric perspective: Communicating with an algorithm? Taking the human element out of the loop? For which reasons, for what trades and which parts of the voyages? What new perspectives open up for seafarers (and the groups to recruit them from) and how is the seafarer profession kept attractive? How do we ensure smooth communication (in addition to connectivity)?

Ondrilla Fernandes | Employment Affairs Advisor, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS)
Branko Berlan | IMO representative, International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF)
Lennart Swoboda | Head of Autonomy, Bernhard Schulte
Hans-Christoph Burmeister | Head of Department 'Sea Traffic and Nautical Solutions’, Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services (CML)

1210: Family photo and Lunch break, followed by coffee

1330: Inspiration 2: Legal aspects of Remote Operating Centres (ROCs)

Prof. Dr. iur. Anna Petrig, LL.M. (Harvard) | University of Basel (online)

1345: Debate 2: The evolution of an international legal framework for operating MASS, including ROCs

Moderator: NFAS (Ørnulf Jan Rødseth)

The IMO decided that there should always be a master responsible for a MASS and that the master should have the means to intervene. How can Remote Operating Centres be brought into the existing legal framework? How will the interaction between human and machine/automation be done in practice, including responsibilities for performing/monitoring tasks? Which qualifications do MASS operators in ROCs need? How will jurisdiction be determined? And how will ROCs need to be designed, manned and approved/certified? Many countries are now developing a framework for operation of MASS in national waters. We also see some developments in bilateral agreements for sailing MASS in and between adjacent national waters. An important question remains: What about operation in international waters?

Diederik Wéreau | EU Presidency Policy Advisor, DG Shipping - Safety and Environment Policy, Belgium
Antonio Hevia Rodriguez | Competences for MASS Operators in Remote Operating Centres (CMOROC), European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)
Svein-David Medhaug | Business Development Manager, REMOTA
David Appleton | International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations (IFSMA)

1500: Coffee break and refreshments

1525: Inspiration 3: Risk-Based Assessment – a “sine qua non” for MASS?

Nicolas Charalambous | European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA): Risk-Based Assessment Tool (RBAT) Demonstration/Experience

1540: Debate 3: The human in the loop - a risk and rescuer?

Moderator: European Commission

In the future, increased degrees of autonomous ship will be omnipresent, but so will risks. Do we need a new approach to risk assessment? How can technology remain secure, and how will crew be skilled and remain vigilant? How to allow predictability of MASS action? Communication and connectivity? What should a MASS fallback state look like?

Sifis Papageorgiou | Principal Surveyor, Norwegian Maritime Authority
Sinikka Hartonen | Secretary-General, OneSea
Sondre Øie | Principal Engineer - Digital Ship Systems, Det Norske Veritas (DNV)
Dr. Sebastian Feuerstack | Head of Department Safe Automation of Maritime Systems, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V./ German Aerospace Center (DLR)

1700: The Business Case

SEAMLESS project - Building the Future Business Case for MASS Logistics: The SEAMLESS Approach Presentation of the SEAMLESS project's goals, concept, and ambitions, as well as the development of disruptive business models that aim to harness the capabilities of autonomous maritime technologies and concretely contribute towards seamless freight transport logistics.

Nikolaos P. Ventikos | SEAMLESS Project Coordinator, Professor, National Technical University of Athens
Jorge Lara Lopez | Senior Project Manager, Fundación Valenciaport

1715: Summing-up and overall conclusions

Magda Kopczyńska | Director General DG MOVE
Fotini Ioannidou | Director Waterborne, DG MOVE, European Commission

Ørnulf Jan Rødseth | Manager, NFAS

1730: End of Summit and Reception