From ship design to voyage optimization, and from electronic bills of lading to AI-assisted safety and compliance, maritime leaders featured in our special column agree that data, automation and connectivity must now work together, seamlessly and at scale.

Efficiency has emerged as the industry’s most immediate lever: the bridge between regulatory pressure, rising fuel and carbon costs, and the longer-term ambition of net-zero shipping. Just as importantly, experts stress that technology must simplify operations, reduce crew workload and strengthen safety, not add complexity.

While geopolitical uncertainty, market volatility and fragmented regulation continue to test resilience, there is a shared optimism that 2026 can mark an inflection point. A year where collaboration replaces silos, integration replaces patchwork systems, and digital tools deliver measurable impact; lower emissions, safer voyages and more predictable operations. Put simply, the industry’s leaders see 2026 as the year maritime moves from experimentation to execution, aligning people, purpose and technology to shape a more competitive, connected and sustainable future.

Through our Industry Voices: A Maritime Wish-List for 2026 series, contributors from across the global maritime ecosystem outline a shared vision of how smart technologies – when aligned with people and purpose – can help shape a more connected, competitive and sustainable maritime industry.

Joy Basu, CEO, Smart Ship Hub

In 2026…

We should continue to:

• strengthen the industry’s shift toward data-backed decision-making, driven by high-frequency sensor data and automated, crew-light data capture.
• focus on clear outcome statements and measurable ROI, not narratives.

"Digitalisation only works when operators see direct impact on uptime, compliance, fuel, and productivity."

• enhance operational resilience by scaling automation, DIY workflows, real-time alerts, and decision-support systems across fleets and shore teams.
• build collaborative frameworks where owners, operators, charterers, ports, insurers and OEMs share common data models and interoperable systems.

We should let go of:

• Manual reporting, paper logs, and disconnected legacy systems that slow down operations and increase risk.
• Digitalisation pilots that never scale. The value comes only when technology is rolled out fleetwide with clear KPIs.
• The belief that digital transformation is complex or “nice to have.” It is now a fundamental requirement for commercial competitiveness, safety assurance, and sustainability.
  
  We should strive to achieve:

• A unified digital ecosystem where machinery data, bridge data, camera feeds, human inputs, vibration, and transactional data coexist on one platform, enabling true situational awareness.
• Predictive capabilities built on real operational data—early detection, accurate forecasting, and actionable insights that reduce breakdowns and operational disruption.
• Practical decarbonisation where software-led efficiency gains deliver immediate emission reductions without waiting for future fuels or large capex.

"We should also strive to achieve wider adoption of AI-enabled enterprise workflows that automate reports, compliance submissions, procurement decisions, ETA planning, and maintenance strategies."

We can succeed by:

• Accelerating the deployment of low-cost, retrofit-ready edge gateways and plug-and-play sensors across older fleets, enabling democratized access to real-time data.
• Strengthening cyber assurance and governance structures that support increased data exchange with ports, insurers, class, and supply chain stakeholders.
• Adopting standardized data schemas (ISO 19847/19848) to reduce integration cost and shorten time-to-value for every digital initiative.

Embracing omni-channel B2B interactions—mobile apps, desktop apps, APIs, and collaboration platforms will enable faster decision-making at scale.

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