Leading a maritime business right now must feel like sailing a ship through an endless storm, with unpredictable weather ahead and no clear sense of what lies beneath the keel. Tariffs, wars, accelerating regulatory change, environmental pressures, future fuel uncertainty, economic volatility and the rapid transformation of technology… these are just a few of the challenges contributing to an ever-changing climate in which to do business.

“At a recent industry conference, ship owners were saying they’ve seen more change in the past year than the previous 30,” says Jeremy Daoust, Head of Market Management & Insights at OneOcean. “And every change stays, it doesn’t replace the last, so there is a compound effect.”

So how do you respond when the sea never settles and the winds of change keep blowing gales?

The digital imperative

Despite this pressure, a surprising share of the market still runs on manual processes, which take longer and are more prone to human error.

“There’s still a portion of the market that believes they don’t need to change, so that they can control their costs,” says Alex Mangan, Chief Marketing Officer at OneOcean. “But if you don’t go digital you run the risk of being left behind. By embracing digital solutions, you’re setting yourself up for more efficiency and predictability in your operations.”

It’s also about how ready you are right now. Alex says in the face of uncertainty many fleet operators will run their ships for longer than originally planned, waiting to see what industry trends emerge and which way to place their bets in terms of vessel type, fuel choices and so on. Digital tools can play a key role in helping them make informed decisions.

“We can help them make their existing fleet perform as well as possible… and we intend to leverage data to help them plan for tomorrow by providing new insights that don’t exist today.”

Alex’s message is clear: embracing digital tools helps you respond more effectively today and stay agile for the future.

Automate compliance intelligence

Regulations change ever more quickly, and the interaction between global and local rules is becoming increasingly complex.

“You’re already at full capacity,” says Barry Hooper, VP of Product & Technology for OneOcean “You don’t have the bandwidth to track every new regulation.”

It’s essential to know your solution provider has the expertise to support you so that you can always trust the insights provided. In the case of OneOcean, regulations are actively monitored, content curated and updated by regulatory experts with a maritime background, who know what’s needed and when.

Jeremy Daoust explains: “An update to ballast water regulations? We ingest it, code it, push it through. Your crew sees it in their software – what to do, what not to do – and gets all of the relevant and related regulations in one place.”

Barry Hooper spent the first decade of his career at sea, working up to Chief Mate. He remembers the days – not very long ago – when you could fit all regulations around discharges onto a single MARPOL poster. Things are very different now in every area of regulation, especially regarding the environment. That’s why software like OneOcean EnviroManager+ is so important.

“There’s no way you can teach a navigation officer on board all of this data, because it changes so often,” he says. “So, the idea of EnviroManager+ is to expose that in a very visual way to the seafarer, backed up by the latest regulations.”

Ship-to-shore: the trend towards integration

That growing digital connection between ship and shore is creating a deeper shift in how fleets are supported.

“Today, most decisions are taken on board,” says Tony Brown, SVP of Product – Navigation & Compliance at OneOcean. “But AI and analytics are more powerful onshore – and this is prompting shipping companies to increase their investment in fleet operation centres staffed by experienced maritime professionals.”

Tony views this as an ongoing journey – one in which the growing exchange of data between ship and shore is enhancing shore-based support, empowering Masters to make more informed decisions at sea.

“Installing digital solutions onboard is the first step in enabling the flow of data between ship and shore – a foundation that can be expanded over time as these technologies evolve with new features and capabilities.”

He says the maritime industry has entered a new era in which the ships benefit from enhanced shoreside support, with the Captains and their teams using state of the art digital solutions powered by high quality data and advanced analytics.

Geopolitical turbulence: being agile is critical

The political climate can be as big a factor as the natural one, with sudden regulatory changes, sanctions, or other international developments providing frequent jolts to the best laid plans. It means being agile is simply what’s required. As ever, knowledge is power.

Recent trade and security developments, including shifting tariff policies, sanctions, and port restrictions, continue to demonstrate how politics reshape global shipping. Ship managers often need to adjust routes or cargo operations in response, relying on accurate, real-time data to make the right decisions. Data solutions such as the Port API from OneOcean help them make real-time decisions about where to go.

“Fleet managers can see, in real-time, how busy a port is, what type of vessels are arriving, and how long they’re staying,” explained Marco Del Percio, OneOcean’s Product Manager for APIs. “And through our APIs, you can choose to integrate that directly into your ops dashboard, so you can digest it and analyse it in a way that works for you.”

Then, of course, Passage Planning software becomes a critical part of rerouting. It’s a world where speed of thought and the ability to respond quickly and compliantly are becoming ever more important. Those doing so without the help of digital tools are at a disadvantage.

Ready to respond?

And that’s the point. In this new era, knowing what’s happening isn’t enough; operators must be able to react.

This raises some essential questions:

  • How are you ensuring your fleet is environmentally compliant?
  • How fast are you disseminating critical updates to your crew?
  • Are your ships responding to change in a consistent, auditable way?
  • Are you using data to improve decision-making or improvising from behind?
  • Do you have the digital infrastructure to grow, adapt and stay compliant?

Responding to accelerating change now means being digitally ready. That isn’t a single project – it’s a long-term capability. The winners in this new era won’t be the biggest operators or the loudest brands. They’ll be the ones who install the infrastructure today that allows them to adapt tomorrow. As Tony Brown puts it: “Right now, it’s about establishing the digital foundations that everything else will be built on.”

In shipping, there’s no such thing as standing still. The current of change is moving faster and faster and those at the wheel need to respond quickly.