Towards Shipping 4.0. A preliminary gap analysis

TLDR

Industry 4.0 introduces digital technologies such as IoT, Big Data Analytics, and cloud computing to supply chains, and is expected to transform maritime transport by enabling smart ships, autonomous vessels, and embedded sensors, thereby challenging the design of efficient digitized business models. This paper aims to identify gaps between traditional shipping business models and the emerging digitized industry by conducting a gap analysis. The authors perform a gap analysis that evaluates the maturity level of digital technologies and highlights technological barriers to adopting next‑generation shipping models.

Abstract

The paradigm of Industry 4.0 involves a substantial innovation to the value creation approach thought the supply chain and the application of digital enabling technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data Analytics (BDA) and cloud computing. The fourth industrial revolution is thus expected to have a disruptive impact on maritime transport and shipping sectors, where smart ships and autonomous vessels well be part of a new and fully interconnected maritime ecosystem. Specific hardware components, such as sensors, actuators, or processors will be embedded in the ship’s key systems in order to provide valuable information to increase the efficiency, sustainability and safety of maritime transport. The big challenge is thus to design more efficient business models where digitized information will be effectively employed to strengthen the value chain. This paper addresses such topic discussing by performing a gap analysis between current (traditional) business models and next generation digitized shipping industry, discussing the maturity level and the technological barriers.