Tech
DNV GL: STANDARDISATION
CAN HELP ENABLE THE
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
OF SHIPPING
W
hether for operational optimization,
model calibration for digital twins, de-
sign optimization or other applications,
the maritime industry is exploring the
opportunities offered by digital technol-
ogies. The first demonstration and pilot
projects are already well underway and
the industry is asking what is needed
to transform these into fully scalable
products. The answer could be a greater
emphasis on standardisation.
“Standards are used in many industries to advance efficiency, safety
and environmental performance,” says Pierre Sames, Group Technology
and Research Director, DNV GL. “With the rise of the Internet of Things in
shipping, we believe that many stakeholders can benefit from developing
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a standardisation strategy to take advantage of a more digital maritime
industry.”
DNV GL’s new position paper focuses on the collection of ship sensor
data, as increased sensor availability lets us collect both existing and new
types of data more efficiently, with the result that more data is available
than ever before. But as more data is being collected, exchanged and
prepared for use, the origin, quality level, context, and legal status can
become less transparent – the result being that end users are less likely to
trust and therefore use the data.
“At DNV GL we have been involved in many digitalisation pilot and
demonstration projects,” says Steinar Låg, Senior Researcher in Maritime
Transport at DNV GL. “By looking at the results of these projects we identi-
fied several technical barriers that are hampering the data flow and usage.
Too much time is spent matching and structuring different systems, while
data collection products from different vendors often have incompatible
outputs – making it difficult to combine the data of multiple systems. This
makes the processes less efficient and more difficult for shipowners to
obtain a complete picture of a vessel or their fleet.”
The report discusses the need for standardisation in six key areas: Ship
data models, sensor naming and referencing, maritime taxonomies and
code books, sensor metadata, shipboard data recorder, as well as sensor
quality and reliability. However, as future technologies develop, there may
be a need for new standards to support other applications, such as mod-
el-based simulations and autonomous ships.
“At DNV GL we will continue to work with industry stakeholders on
new standards at the same time as we develop new rules, class notations,
recommended practices and type approval programmes,” says Pierre
Sames. “Standards are a key factor in removing barriers and enabling the
growth of digital applications in the maritime industry and we hope this
study will inspire others to invest in the development and adoption of
standardisation.”
dnvgl.com