Digitalization in the maritime industry

Facilitating smart vessel operations 

Vessels, their systems, and their components are increasingly linked to the internet, making them accessible from anywhere and part of a network of online maritime assets. This is giving the industry access to real-time data, enabling increased automation, decision support, remote monitoring, and overall boosts to safety and operational performance.

In our role as a class society, we want to foster the uptake of digital features and smart vessels. This is why we developed new class notations to enable owners, operators, and yards to qualify and demonstrate their latest technologies.

Smart vessel class notation

Demonstrate that a vessel has been equipped with technical or digital features that improve operations and efficiency, and reduce environmental impacts.

DNV’s Smart vessel class notation provides a framework for assessing and visualizing digital vessel features. There are three qualifiers;

1. Operations and maintenance – Machinery, equipment, and systems (OPM)
2. Operations and maintenance – Hull (OPH)
3. Energy efficiency, and environment (EEN)

The Smart notations may be granted with several combinations of qualifiers and enhancements.

When new operational concepts enabled by novel technology are introduced, the solutions may not meet existing regulations and technical requirements. Class rules and statutory regulations provide guidance on processes to follow for obtaining approval of alternative design in general. In this way, they support development and introduction of new operational concepts and novel technology in ship designs.