e-Navigation is a strategy developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a UN specialized agency, to bring about increased safety of navigation in commercial shipping through better organization of data on ships and on shore, and better data exchange and communication between ships and the ship and shore.[1] The concept was launched when maritime authorities from seven nations requested the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee to add the development of an e-navigation strategy to the work programs of the IMO's NAV and COMSAR sub-committees. Working groups in three sub-committees (NAV, COMSAR and STW) and an intersessional correspondence group, led by Norway, has subsequently developed a Strategy Implementation Plan (SIP). Member states of IMO and a number of Intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations have contributed to the work, including the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), Comité International Radio-Maritime (CIRM), the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
An input paper to IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee’s 81st session in 2005 from Japan, Marshall Islands, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore and the United Kingdom and the United States identified that there was a clear need to equip the master of a vessel, and those responsible for the safety of shipping ashore, with modern proven tools to make marine navigation and communications more reliable and thereby reduce errors − especially those with a potential for loss of life, injury, environmental damage and undue commercial costs.
It also identified that more substantial and widespread benefits for states, shipowners and seafarers could be expected to arise from the increased safety at sea, which was identified as the core objective of e-navigation.
It was therefore proposed to add a new item on e-navigation to the work programme of the Sub-Committee on Safety of Navigation (NAV) and also to that on Radiocommunications and Search and Rescue (COMSAR). The aim was to develop a strategic vision for the utilization of existing and new navigational tools, in particular electronic tools, in a holistic and systematic manner. e-navigation can thereby help reduce navigational accidents, errors and failures by developing standards for an accurate and cost-effective system that would make a major contribution to the IMO’s agenda of safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans.
Human element, training and harmonization
The last decades have seen huge developments in technology within navigation and communication systems. Sophisticated and advanced technology is developing rapidly. Mariners have never had more technological support systems than today and therefore there is a need to coordinate systems and more use of harmonised standards. Although ships now carry Global Satellite Navigation Systems (GNSS) and will soon[when?] all have reliable Electronic Chart Displays and Information Systems (ECDIS), their use on board is not fully integrated and harmonised with other existing systems and those of other ships and ashore. At the same time it has been identified that the human element, including training, competency, language skills, workload and motivation are essential in today’s world. Administrative burden, information overload and ergonomics are prominent concerns. A clear need has been identified for the application of good ergonomic principles in a well-structured human machine interface as part of the e-navigation strategy.
e-Navigation definition
At MSC 85, the committee, taking into account inputs from the industry and other relevant organizations (e.g., IALA and IHO), approved the strategy for the development and implementation of e-navigation and developed the following definition of e-navigation:
e-navigation is the harmonized collection, integration, exchange, presentation and analysis of marine information on board and ashore by electronic means to enhance berth to berth navigation and related services for safety and security at sea and protection of the marine environment.[2]
Benefits for users and stakeholders
On a global level e-navigation will:
Standardize bridge design which globally enhances the opportunity to work cross-border, improves efficiency in training and reduces material cost. Similarities between nations and vessels would also increase efficiency and improve safety.
Reduce barriers of trade through reduction of local solutions and bureaucracy.
Reduce the risk of accidents and incidents.
For coastal states, flag states and port states e-navigation will:
Improve efficiency in training, certification and supervision;
Improve situational awareness by providing easy access to standard and reliable information;
Improve efficiency in supervision, coordination, control, as well as coordination and information;
Reduce the risk of accidents and incidents through efficient use of VTS services.
For branches, organizations and industry e-navigation will:
Provide flexibility with regards to training and rotation as standardization would lead to a more efficient market for standardized bridge products;
Simplify reporting and thereby reducing the workload for operations;
Improve safety for own fleet;
Improve situational awareness for bridge personnel and thereby improving the speed and efficiency of decision making;
Increase navigational safety in VTS regulated areas;
Provide a direction for product development to a wide market;
Provide opportunity for new products and solutions;
For ship-borne users e-navigation will:
Simplify daily work and training;
Improve human-machine interface, usability, familiarity and navigational safety;
Improve time-saving and efficiency on board by providing easier access to information, thereby improving the response time/problem solving abilities of bridge personnel;
Improved navigational safety by reducing the administrative workload;
Improve confidence in the use of navigational equipment;
Enhance the quality, accuracy and reliability of information, thereby improving situational awareness and navigational safety;
Provide easy access to need-to-know information in a user friendly single window;
Improve familiarity with systems through standardization;
Improve service and safety in VTS-regulated areas by providing easy access to available services and warnings
Reduce bureaucracy and thereby support more efficient use of bridge resources;
Reduce the risk of accidents;
e-navigation strategy
The IMO entrusted Norway and the Norwegian Coastal Administration to coordinate the work of developing a proposal for an e-navigation strategy implementation plan. Three sub-committees within the IMO – NAV, COMSAR and STW – established working groups on e-navigation; each group was chaired by John Erik Hagen of the Norwegian Coastal Administration. Further, a correspondence group overseen by the Norwegian Coastal Administration had an ongoing role in gathering input from national maritime administrations to proposals and decisions related to the process of establishing an e-navigation Strategy Implementation Plan (SIP).
The work on an e-navigation Strategy Implementation Plan was broken down into several clear phases:
Assessing user needs
Constructing an open, modular and scalable architecture
Completing a series of studies: a gap analysis, cost-benefit analysis and a risk analysis
Strategy Implementation Plan (SIP)
With these phases complete, five agreed solutions were proposed to provide the basis for a Strategy Implementation Plan. These are:
S1: improved, harmonized and user friendly bridge design;
S2: means for standardized and automated reporting;
S3: improved reliability, resilience and integrity of bridge equipment and navigation information;
S4: integration and presentation of available information in graphical displays received via communications equipment; and
S9: improved communication of VTS Service Portfolio.
S1, S3 and S4 address the equipment and its use on the ship, while S2 and S9 address improved communications between ships and ship to shore and shore to ship. During the development of the SIP a number of tasks have been identified in order to continue the further development and implementation of e-navigation. Some of these tasks may require further consideration and investigation before taking a final decision on the best way forward and subsequent tasks. Further it was recognised that there is a need to identify shore-based functions and services. At present, there are many different types of services in most given situations or locations, such as ports, coastal and high seas. Harmonising and standardising these services results in the Maritime Service Portfolios (MSPs).
Core elements to the plan
The final e-Navigation Strategy Implementation Plan contains eight core elements, defined thus:
Identification of tasks needed to be completed to satisfy the Solutions
A phasing of the tasks and a high level roadmap
A list of Maritime Service Portfolios that need to be developed
A list of key enablers of e-navigation
The continual assessment of user needs
Proposals for a systematic assessment of how new technology can best meet defined and evolving user needs in the longer term
Proposals on public relations and promotion of the e-navigation concept to key stakeholder groups
Identification of potential sources of funding for development and implementation, particularly for developing regions and countries and of actions to secure that funding.
Guidelines
The combination of the five e-navigation solutions, and the three guidelines, Guidelines on Human Centred Design (HCD) for e-navigation, Guidelines on Usability Testing, Evaluation and Assessment (U-TEA) for e-navigation systems and Guidelines for Software Quality Assurance (SQA) in e-navigation, proposes an e-navigation implementation that facilitates a holistic approach to the interaction between shipboard and shore-based users.
Way forward
The SIP was presented to the new IMO sub-committee NCSR (Navigation Communication Search and Rescue) in June 2014 for endorsement, and forwarded from there to the Maritime Safety Committee where it was approved in November 2014. Along with work taking place under the aegis of the IMO, a number of public and private groups are working to advance e-navigation and topics related to e-navigation.
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an intergovernmental organisation representing hydrography. As of May 2022, the IHO comprised 98 Member States.
The International Maritime Organization is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. The IMO was established following agreement at a UN conference held in Geneva in 1948 and the IMO came into existence ten years later, meeting for the first time in 17 March 1958. Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, IMO currently has 175 Member States and three Associate Members.
The International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), previously known as International Association of Lighthouse Authorities, is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1957 to collect and provide nautical expertise and advice. IALA is also known by its French name of Association Internationale de Signalisation Maritime (AISM).
The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) is a worldwide system for automated emergency signal communication for ships at sea developed by the United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) as part of the SOLAS Convention.
The Port of Hong Kong located by the South China Sea, is a deepwater seaport dominated by trade in containerised manufactured products, and to a lesser extent raw materials and passengers. A key factor in the economic development of Hong Kong, the natural shelter and deep waters of Victoria Harbour provide ideal conditions for berthing and the handling of all types of vessels. It is one of the busiest ports in the world, in the three categories of shipping movements, cargo handled and passengers carried. This makes Hong Kong a Large-Port Metropolis.
The automatic identification system (AIS) is an automatic tracking system that uses transceivers on ships and is used by vessel traffic services (VTS). When satellites are used to receive AIS signatures, the term Satellite-AIS (S-AIS) is used. AIS information supplements marine radar, which continues to be the primary method of collision avoidance for water transport. Although technically and operationally distinct, the ADS-B system is analogous to AIS and performs a similar function for aircraft.
A vessel traffic service is a marine traffic monitoring system established by harbour or port authorities, similar to air traffic control for aircraft. The International Maritime Organization defines vessel traffic service as "a service implemented by a competent authority designed to improve the safety and efficiency of vessel traffic and protect the environment. The service shall have the capability to interact with the traffic and respond to traffic situations developing in the vessel traffic service area". Typical vessel traffic service systems use radar, closed-circuit television, VHF radiotelephony and automatic identification system to keep track of vessel movements and provide navigational safety in a limited geographical area.
Voyage data recorder, or VDR, is a data recording system designed for all vessels required to comply with the IMO's International Convention SOLAS Requirements in order to collect data from various sensors on board the vessel. It then digitizes, compresses and stores this information in an externally mounted protective storage unit. The protective storage unit is a tamper-proof unit designed to withstand the extreme shock, impact, pressure and heat, which could be associated with a marine incident.
A Chartplotter is a device used in marine navigation that integrates GPS data with an electronic navigational chart (ENC).
Passage planning or voyage planning is a procedure to develop a complete description of a vessel's voyage from start to finish. The plan includes leaving the dock and harbor area, the en route portion of a voyage, approaching the destination, and mooring, the industry term for this is 'berth to berth'. According to international law, a vessel's captain is legally responsible for passage planning, The duty of passage planning is usually delegated to the ship's navigation officer, typically the second officer on merchant ships.
Sector Commander is the position title of the commanding officer of a United States Coast Guard Sector, usually of the rank of Captain (O-6). The Sector Commander's second-in-command is the Deputy Sector Commander. Also reporting directly to the Sector Commander are the Command Master Chief (CMC), the Senior Reserve Officer, and the Sector's Auxiliary Coordinator.
A Sector is a shore-based operational unit of the United States Coast Guard. Each Sector is responsible for the execution of all Coast Guard missions within its Area of Responsibility (AOR), with operational support from Coast Guard Cutters and Air Stations. Subordinate commands within a Sector typically include Stations and Aids-to-Navigation (ATON) Teams. Some Sector commands also have subordinate units such as Sector Field Offices and Marine Safety Units that are responsible for mission execution in parts of the Sector's AOR. There are 37 sectors within the Coast Guard.
Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) is a general term to describe systems that are used in commercial fishing to allow environmental and fisheries regulatory organizations to track and monitor the activities of fishing vessels. They are a key part of monitoring control and surveillance (MCS) programs at national and international levels. VMS may be used to monitor vessels in the territorial waters of a country or a subdivision of a country, or in the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) that extend 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) from the coasts of many countries. VMS systems are used to improve the management and sustainability of the marine environment, through ensuring proper fishing practices and the prevention of illegal fishing, and thus protect and enhance the livelihoods of fishermen.
The Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) maintains a ship register of the Russian Federation, based in Saint Petersburg, and is a marine classification society. Its activities aim to enhance safety of navigation, safety of life at sea, security of ships, safe carriage of cargo, environmental safety of ships, prevention of pollution from ships, and performance of authorisations issued by maritime administrations and customers.
The Danish Maritime Authority is the agency of the Danish Government responsible for regulating and administrating Danish maritime affairs. The Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) is part of the Ministry of Industry, Business, and Financial Affairs. The Agency consists of the central authority and eight vision offices, including the office in Nuuk and the Centre for Maritime Health on Fanø. Its headquarters are in Korsør.
A Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System, abbreviated BNWAS, is an automatic system which sounds an alarm if the watch officer on the bridge of a ship falls asleep, becomes otherwise incapacitated, or is absent for too long a time. The BNWAS is automatically engaged when the ship's autopilot is activated.
Navielektro /nɑvielektro/ is a privately owned Finnish company specialized in development and maintenance of situational awareness, surveillance and communication systems for both civilian and military purposes. Navielektro develops, manufactures and provides maintenance for a range of various radar and related sensors and communication equipment.
Vardø Vessel Traffic Service Centre, also known as Norwegian Oceanic Region Vessel Traffic Service, is a vessel traffic service situated in the town of Vardø in Vardø, Norway. It is responsible for monitoring ship traffic off the baseline of Norway throughout the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), including the areas around Jan Mayen and Svalbard. It has special responsibilities for the sealanes into Hammerfest and Sveagruva.
Autonomous cargo ships, also known as autonomous container ships or maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS), are crewless vessels that transport either containers or bulk cargo over navigable waters with little or no human interaction. Different methods and levels of autonomy can be achieved through monitoring and remote control from a nearby manned ship, an onshore control center or through artificial intelligence and machine learning, letting the vessel itself decide the course of action.
The Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships, or Initial IMO GHG Strategy, is the framework through which the International Maritime Organization (IMO) aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international maritime shipping. GHG emissions from shipping are about 3% of total GHG emissions, and under this strategy the IMO envisions their elimination within this century. However many companies and organizations say shipping should be decarbonized by 2050.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
