Rolls Royce plans to deploy fully autonomous cargo ships by 2020
Rolls Royce plans for a future full of fleets of autonomous cargo ships Rolls Royce and the led Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications Initiative (AAWA) believe the future of cargo transportation is autonomous and they have published an 88 page white paper to prove it.
Key takeaways
- Rolls Royce and the led Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications Initiative (AAWA) believe the future of cargo transportation is autonomous and they have published an 88 page white paper to prove it.
- The company outlined its vision of remote controlled cargo ships at the Autonomous Ship Technology Symposium in Amsterdam last week, claiming unmanned vessels would be cheaper to operate and would have more space for cargo.
- The technologies needed to make remote and autonomous ships a reality exist.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2016) 'Rolls Royce plans to deploy fully autonomous cargo ships by 2020', 311 Institute, 8 July. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/rolls-royce-plans-to-deploy-fully-autonomous-cargo-ships-by-2020/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Rolls Royce plans for a future full of fleets of autonomous cargo ships
Rolls Royce and the led Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications Initiative (AAWA) believe the future of cargo transportation is autonomous and they have published an 88 page white paper to prove it.
The company outlined its vision of remote controlled cargo ships at the Autonomous Ship Technology Symposium in Amsterdam last week, claiming unmanned vessels would be cheaper to operate and would have more space for cargo.
Speaking at the Symposium Oskar Levander, Rolls-Royce, Vice President of Innovation, Marine, said:
“This is happening. It’s not if, it’s when. The technologies needed to make remote and autonomous ships a reality exist. The AAWA project is testing sensor arrays in a range of operating and climatic conditions in Finland and has created a simulated autonomous ship control system which allows the behaviour of the complete communication system to be explored and we will see a remote controlled ship in commercial use by the end of the decade.”
The project also has the support of ship owners and operators. The tests of sensor arrays are being carried out aboard Finferries 65 metre double ended ferry, the Stella, which operates between Korpo and Houtskär while ESL Shipping Ltd is helping explore the implications of remote and autonomous ships for the short sea cargo sector.
If introduced in this timeframe, ships could beat cars to be the first autonomous vehicle to be rolled out on a significant scale.
The route to transform commercial shipping is not plain sailing, however, with the white paper warning that autonomous ships may be more vulnerable to piracy as inadequate security would potentially mean hackers could commandeer the freighters.
“In principle, anybody skilful and capable to attain access into the ICT system could take control of the ship and change its operation according to hackers’ objectives,” the white paper states.
“This could mean simply some disruptive actions or manoeuvres introduced for annoyance or demonstration, hijacking of the ship and cargo for ransom, but also powered groundings or collisions created on purpose to cause severe destruction.”
Rolls Royce is not first to float the idea of autonomous ships, with the US Navy launched it’s first fully autonomous warship, dubbed the Sea Hunter, earlier this year in what is seen as a dramatic advancement as we head towards fully autonomous, hunter killer weapons platforms but unlike it's USN counter part Rolls Royce still plans for there to be a human in the loop, albeit someone in a control center thousands of miles away.
What this means for your organisation
Ships redesigned without crews.
Removing the crew frees space for cargo and cuts operating costs. Ship design can change once living quarters are no longer needed. Shipping lines should model the economics of crewless vessels.
Control moves to shore.
Remote control rooms will manage vessels, changing where maritime jobs sit. Skills shift from seamanship to systems monitoring. Operators should plan training and recruitment for shore-based roles.
Rules and insurance must catch up.
Liability, safety standards and cyber security are not yet settled for autonomous ships. Insurers and regulators will set the pace of adoption. Engage early in shaping the rules.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- How would crewless vessels change the costs in our supply chain?
- What shore-based skills will our maritime operations need?
- How exposed are remote-controlled ships to cyber attacks?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Rolls Royce plans for a future full of fleets of autonomous cargo ships Rolls Royce and the led Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications Initiative (AAWA) believe the future of cargo transportation is autonomous and they have published an 88 page white paper to prove it.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- 88 page white paper rolls-royce.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 8 July 2016. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2016). Rolls Royce plans to deploy fully autonomous cargo ships by 2020. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/rolls-royce-plans-to-deploy-fully-autonomous-cargo-ships-by-2020/
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