The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has launched a comprehensive strategy that would turbo-charge efficiency, safety and sustainability in the global shipping industry.

The IMO Strategy on Maritime Digitalization launched during its 49th session in London from 10 to 14 March, outlines a work plan for developing the digitalization strategy, which is set to be adopted by the organization’s highest governing body — the IMO Assembly — by the end of 2027.

The IMO said the cross-cutting strategy will span different areas of its work, fostering a fully interconnected, harmonized and automated global maritime sector.

“To guide this process, the IMO Facilitation Committee established a Correspondence Group to define the strategy’s scope, key objectives and implementation framework. The Group will work over the coming year to identify existing and emerging technologies, standards and methodologies that can support maritime digitalization while ensuring alignment across IMO’s various committees,” the IMO said in an email to the DAILY TRIBUNE.

Further, the maritime regulator maintained that the Facilitation Committee invited the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) and Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) to encourage member states and international organizations to join the Correspondence Group, to ensure the early involvement of all stakeholders in shaping the IMO digitalization strategy.

The Correspondence Group will table a report to the next session of the Facilitation Committee (FAL 50) in 2026 before a final submission is made to the Assembly session scheduled for the end of 2027.

With this, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez emphasized the transformative potential of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and autonomous navigation while recognizing related challenges, including cybersecurity risks and the global digital divide.

He stated: “The IMO Maritime Digitalization Strategy is a game-changing effort to make smooth, seamless, smart shipping a reality. It will help integrate vessels and ports, improve logistics and optimize routes while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We must work together to ensure the strategy serves all.”

Advancing digitization initiatives

Moreover, the IMO said the strategy builds on previous milestones, including the introduction of mandatory Maritime Single Window regulations last year, which require ships and ports to use a single digital platform to exchange information and streamline port call procedures.

The 49th session of the Facilitation Committee advanced other key digital initiatives, including the updated IMO Compendium on Facilitation and Electronic Business, in which a new version was approved, featuring additional data sets to improve standardization and interoperability across maritime IT systems, and enhanced maritime single window (MSW) guidelines, which states amendments to the guidelines for setting up a maritime single window that was approved to introduce verification functions, reducing manual administrative burdens and eliminating redundant checks by different authorities.

Also included in the digital initiative is the cybersecurity for a maritime single window, in which a new output was introduced to develop cybersecurity measures to safeguard MSWs and protect digital maritime operations from attacks, and electronic certificates guidelines, wherein a joint FAL-LEG-MEPC-MSC Guidelines on electronic certificates were approved and forwarded for concurrent approval by IMO’s Marine Environment Protection, Maritime Safety and Legal Committees.

“The success of the IMO digitalization strategy will depend on input from member states and international organizations, particularly concerning safety and environmental protection considerations. A detailed summary of the Facilitation Committee meeting will follow,” the IMO said.