The Necessity of Standards for Maritime Informatics in Ship Operations

Maritime standards in relation to technology innovation and informatics have a long history dating back to the invention of telegraphy and emergency protocols at sea. The conditions facing the maritime industry today continue to indicate a strong need for standards-making. To effectively make standards, one must understand the major organisations involved in standards-making, the sorts of problems facing the industry in relation to standards, and the processes standards may go through as they form. These organisations include the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Standards Organization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 8, and others. Problems include miscalculation, information asymmetry, confusion, wilful negligence, and unintended consequences of computer systems integration. Based on direct industry experience in standards-making, we introduce the reader to all of these issues along with a developing IMO/ISO standard for ship software maintenance. Most importantly, we hope the reader will decide to engage in what is often a voluntary process, because it is a critical foundation for cooperation and information sharing that will enable maritime informatics.