Marine industry leaders highlight how digital transformation will drive success at AVEVA World Digital
Marine industry leaders shared their experiences around embracing technology to enhance the industry during the recent AVEVA World Digital, AWD, conference. The consensus was that accelerated digital transformation, incorporating new technologies and development approaches, is not only key to success but also survival in this sector. Following three key themes came to light during the conference:
#1 Digital transformation is accelerating in the marine industry. Business leaders have accelerated the digitisation of their operations and processes to respond to the impact of the current pandemic on working patterns and to meet fast-changing compliance needs. Business agility is a key strategic focus for digital transformation and the transition to the cloud. Cloud has become an immediate imperative for businesses, providing the capability to scale while achieving balance between accessibility and security.
International Maritime Industries, IMI, is an integrated, full-service greenfield maritime yard, offering solutions to ship and rig customers around the globe from the ground up. Panellist Emad Al Humam, SVP Corporate Services at IMI, commented, “The cloud is no longer a nice-to-have. It is now mandatory from a cost perspective, for agility and flexibility of transferring data.”
US-based General Dynamics NASSCO specialises in the design and construction of auxiliary and support ships for the US Navy and oil tankers and dry cargo carriers for commercial markets. Jeff Schaedig, Supervisor, Engineering and Technical Solutions, General Dynamics NASSCO said, “Agility for NASSCO means being able to move with the changes that come with the process of Government contracts. The industry is waking up to the benefits of the cloud – the FedRAMP process and Government Cloud being two key initiatives in the naval shipbuilding industry.”
#2 Innovation is key for the shipping industry. Business leaders are adopting new technologies and approaches as well as successfully tackling challenges along the way. The marine industry is evolving and adopting new digital best practices as we move through 2021. Digital twins are a key pillar for innovation.
Emad Al Humam of IMI, said “The digital twin will help us significantly in achieving business goals which encompass the delivery of smarter products. Our goal is the digital ship, to achieve cost competitiveness, more efficiency, and better control, especially when it comes to predictive maintenance. And that would make us a pioneer in the market.”
Other innovations include those provided by TechBinder, a technology solution allowing shipping businesses to optimise their fleet using data that the vessels already produce. Bram van den Boom, Founding Partner said, “Building on existing proven technology is one way to reduce risk and internal development time. There is a huge opportunity to take what is already out there and to build on it and adapt.”
#3 Bridging the generational gap. The sector shares the challenge of attracting talent from younger generations with other heavy industries. Increasing digital transformation offers a potential platform for attracting the next generation workforce to the marine industries.
Jeff Schaedig of NASSCO said, “Shipbuilding has some of the best problems for young engineers to solve, a challenging environment to build in, large scale equipment, challenging timelines, many changes inline on projects. It is an environment ripe for innovation and improvement.”
“The marine industry is a pivotal part of global economic trade, with a staggering 90% of international trade being seaborne,” said Panel Chairperson, David Thomson, Solutions Strategy Manager, for Marine, AVEVA. “As the industry adapts to changes in both the economic landscape and environmental regulations, at AVEVA we have developed tools to optimise project execution, shipyard operations, and vessel performance through digitalisation across the marine lifecycle. These tools have been proven in other industries, and we are now adapting and mapping them to the Marine sector.”
Concluding the session, business leaders agreed that the marine industry is in an exciting period of transformation and opportunity and acknowledged that shipping companies are often conservative when it comes to the adoption of new technologies. All agreed, however, that companies that can react with agility and take advantage of digital transformation early will reap the most benefits. David Thomson, Chair of the panel, summarised the challenge and the opportunity facing the marine industry, “In the challenging economic environment we are operating in, shipbuilders need to be masters of change.”
