Public Consultation!! Your opinion counts!!
Let’s work together to make a difference for Cyprus, for shipping, and for our world.
Cyprus’ connection to the sea is fundamental to who we are both as a nation and an economy. We have a proud maritime history and are committed to ensuring this continues into the long-term future.To achieve this, we know we must continue to act and proactively drive progress on both a regional and international level. We also know that to lead effectively we must also listen, which is why we want to co-create a long-term strategic vision for Cyprus’ shipping, maritime, and marine-related activities.
To do this, we need to carefully consider the key challenges and opportunities facing us today and into the future, from multiple perspectives.
We are therefore asking you to share your thoughts and ideas.
Whatever your connection to us, we want to hear from you. If you are part of the global shipping community; if you belong to the maritime community based in Cyprus; or if you live in Cyprus and have views on marine-related activities – we value your opinions.
The Public consultation will take place in three phases:
1. Environmental sustainability – 7th April – 22nd April (you can still share your ideas in the following link / scroll down)
2. Digital transformation – 23rd April – 6th May
3. Global persisting challenges (Seafarers’ living and working conditions, crew changes and piracy and armed robbery) – 7th May – 20th May
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Participate in the public consultation
is doing please scroll down
State OF PLAY - PROSPECTS & CHALLENGES
Ships and their operation have incorporated technological advances over recent years as the “digitalization” of shipping continues at a fast pace affecting the construction of ships, the monitoring of the propulsion units, the accuracy of the navigational systems and their integration, autonomous ships and digital twins. Unavoidably, the training of seafarers, safety on board, the interaction with shore personnel follow suit.
Digitalisation could have a positive effect to the enhancement of regulatory compliance on board whereas it could also lead to new types of safety lapses and possible safety or cyber-security related incidents.
Ship and fleet performance could occur simultaneously while the ship is at sea and subsequent decisions could affect fuel consumption and emissions reduction.
The demand for more direct digital control and direct access on the onboard activities and decision-making that occur on a ship creates an indirect pressure for digitalization on ports and the whole transportation supply chain.
Shipping traffic near and around a certain State, and the possibility of accidents and their pollution consequences have provided coastal States with a major role to play in shipping legislation with direct and immediate access to ever evolving larger data and analytics tools in relation to the activities on the high seas.
Digital certificates carried on board provide significant efficiency gains for the maritime transport sector by reducing administrative burden as well as document handling costs. In addition, they enable authentication and access remotely by all relevant parties when published online.
If ships and shipping in general are changing, so should the flag, port and coastal State capacity and approach of Maritime Administrations in order to keep up with the pace of technology, the needs of the shipping industry, with the training needs of the seafarers of the future, the monitoring of the implementation of their obligations and the formulation of their position vis-à-vis emerging maritime challenges.
What is Cyprus doing?
The Shipping Deputy Ministry (SDM) of Cyprus recognises that the digital transformation affects infrastructure and operations, with the potential to reduce administration requirements and transport costs, allow better maintenance, provide support to crews, improve safety and security on board, prevent ship-sourced pollution, ensure the protection of the environment and foster growth of the blue economy.
SDM is re-examining procedures and process to simplify formalities and transform the services it provides to, as far as possible, a paperless environment. SDM is formulating a roadmap of actions that will turn its services digital, creating the framework conditions to support the concept of one-stop shop. With constant innovation, SDM is trying to make things more efficient; more advanced, but less complicated; more automated, but no less human.
As an example of the ongoing digital transformation a project is under development for the replacement of the existing e_SAS, which provides 24/7 customer service that covers more than the 95% of seafarers’ certificates issued by SDM, with a completely new one. This new system will provide live delivery of digital seafarers’ certificates, electronic ship’s articles services, and crew list information. These services will also be expanded to facilitate the transactions between SDM and the approved training establishments and academies.
In addition, the SDM has developed the “Seafarers Career Information System” (the SICS) as an online career support platform which enables interaction between the SDM, seafarers, and companies. [If you are a registered seafarer or representative of a registered owner or manager of a Cyprus flag ship, you can visit the SICS home page and create your account].
Work on digitalising the shipping registry procedures is also underway.
Furthermore, SDM is looking to the digitalisation of the shipping industry as a transitory phase leading to the Greening of the industry through the collection of data (IoT) and data analytics (AI).
QUESTIONS
We want to co-create our long-term maritime strategy with you. Please share with us any ideas, comments, and suggestions that you have. The following questions are just indicative for your consideration and are set out to assist you in providing your valuable contribution to this discussion:
What are your views on the benefits and challenges of the digital transformation of maritime transport?
What are your views on the potential benefits and the potential challenges of autonomous ships?
What can SDM do to embrace technological changes and transform into a “digital” maritime administration able to provide quality services to the shipping industry?
Do shore installations (terminals and port facilities) proceed with appropriate preparations to be able to accept the ships of the future (larger, longer) or even autonomous ships for loading and unloading purposes in their area of jurisdiction? What needs to be done?
Do you think that minimum safe manning will be altered in the next 5-10 years in terms of number of crew on board? What about their training and competence levels of the crew, will that be altered significantly in the next 5-10 years? Will the seafarer of the future require a completely different training and certification than the current ones (different skills)?
