Embracing Industry 4.0 in the Maritime Industries and the Future of Marine Survey

DURING the last two centuries, three industrial revolutions have fundamentally changed industries, including maritime and shipping. Each revolution brought new technologies to advance and improve work, the workplace and the conditions of workers. In the last decade, the fourth industrial revolution started to evolve our industry in an unprecedented way. Remote sensing and autonomy – backed by digitalisation and technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Simulation (Digital twin) – are changing the work and the way work is performed. In the maritime industry, these technologies have the potential to reduce the cost of maritime operations, promote sustainability, support education and increase efficiency. However, the major challenge the industry is facing is the human element.