Remote control of ships: China is making progress with this future technology, Europe is getting lost in regulation
A young company has developed a technology that allows ships to be controlled remotely. However, the international marketing is being delayed due to Europe's old evil: petty statehood.
A Belgian company, Seafar, has developed technology to remotely control ships on rivers and canals. The system allows former captains to steer vessels from control centers, increasing efficiency and reducing the need for on-board personnel. However, the rollout is being hindered by Europe's complex and fragmented regulatory environment, with different countries having different rules and regulations.
Despite 56 ships from 16 shipping companies being connected to Seafar's network, the company is still in a testing phase and has not yet been able to reduce crew sizes or achieve significant cost savings. The Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine (ZKR) in Strasbourg is responsible for coordinating regulations, but has yet to agree on changes to allow for more widespread use of remote-controlled ships.
Written by urgent.news from NZZ Wirtschaft's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
