Introduction
This paper will give a insight in the challenges and chances of Smart Shipping that lay ahead for infrastructure providers and traffic managers of inland waterways. Chances lay in more efficient waterway and traffic management due to more information, more safety and gains in sustainability.
Challenges lay ahead when Smart Shipping asks for changing rules and legislation, need for changing infrastructure and a different role for traffic management. Although there is a lot of uncertainty about the future of Smart Shipping, this paper shares the results of conducted research in the Netherlands. Also a proposition for future research questions is made.
This abstract is also addressing the need for international cooperation on the challenges that lay ahead on this topic, among others in the Pianc community. Our believe is that we can not sit back and wait for what is going to change. Infrastructure providers and traffic managers should be pro-active at what is to come.
Definition of Smart Shipping
Several definitions of Smart Shipping are available. In our view, the definition should take into account all the developments that are important for the sector and therefore Smart Shipping consists of four different topics:
1. Smart Ships: this not only takes into account automated navigation but for instance also ‘smart’ fuel solutions.
2. Smart traffic: interaction between the ships; situational awareness is one of the topics here.
3. Smart travel and transport: interaction between the ship and the logistic partner (in a corridor); solutions for lock and bridge planning, route planning and ETA at an terminal are port of this topic.
4. Smart facilitation and regulation: interaction between the ship and third (government) parties for regulation or inspection. Important topics within this pillar are corridor, asset and nautical management.
Results of recent research and projects
Developments regarding Smart Shipping are fast-moving. Rijkswaterstaat started paying attention to these developments at the end of 2016. As of then, we are keeping up with this developments by deploying several research studies and by organizing events. In recent studies, research has been conducted on the general impact of Smart Shipping, the impact on sustainability and suspected developments. Besides that, operational experience is exchanged between entrepreneurs government agencies and educational institutions by organizing events and attending demonstrations of new technological advances.
These studies and events already produced interesting results on different topics.
Sustainability: within less than 15 years Smart Shipping can lead to a theoretical CO2 reduction of around 20% compared to 2017.
Safety: up to 80% of incidents on the Dutch waterways is the consequence of human actions. In the long term Smart Shipping should be able to reduce this number with more than 50%.
Efficiency: in the long term data sharing solutions could lead to a 25% gain in efficiency because of reductions of shipping empty containers.
The ships: the vast majority of the Dutch inland navigation fleet is quite old and does not have digital readability instruments and equipment. This may lead to new inland shipping concepts instead of upgrading the existing fleet.
Developments: the developments around Smart Shipping are quite fragmented throughout the sector and real system integrators are missing.
Community: through organizing several events a big (international) community is buildup with stakeholders from many different companies, government agencies and educational institutions. The need for international cooperation is addressed.
Ongoing research and projects
The recent research has shown that Smart Shipping has potential on amongst others, sustainability, safety and efficiency. Ongoing research conducted at the moment is concentrating on the impact of these developments on network (provider) and traffic managers. The main research question is: what impact is Smart Shipping going to have on the operations of an infrastructure provider and traffic manager?
Sub-questions raise attention to the impact Smart Shipping has on the infrastructure and legislation. It is for example expected that, staff regulations and traffic rules need to be changed. Also, further research is conducted to the possible socio-economic impact of Smart Shipping, for example on safety (cyber-security), sustainability and reliability within the logistic process.
Besides the research, new practical information is also gained the Smart Shipping Challenge: an event organized by Rijkswaterstaat on 30th November 2017. On that day dozens of demo’s and presentations will be giving, demonstrating what is already possible with (semi) autonomous inland navigation of ships. An impression of the results of his event will be given.
Future research questions
Although a lot of experience is gained, there are a lot of research questions left. A brief overview of future research questions will be discussed in the presentation. Examples of these questions are:
Which requirements allow the licensing of smart ships to the physical infrastructure such as waterway, berths and locks?
What impact does smart shipping have on the use on the processes of construction and maintenance of the physical infrastructure?
Does Smart Shipping lay down specific conditions for traffic management?
Conclusion
Developments regarding Smart Shipping are fast-moving. Dozens of new technical advances are build at this moment. Recent research has shown that Smart Shipping has potential on amongst others, sustainability, safety and efficiency. The impact on the operation of infrastructure providers and traffic managers is still unclear. Current research is focusing on that topic.
The presentation
In the presentation the latest results of recent and ongoing research will be presented, the discussion will be raised which future research questions are important and the need for international cooperation will be highlighted.