{"id":2957,"date":"2025-11-27T12:41:35","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T12:41:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oneocean.com\/?p=2957"},"modified":"2025-12-11T11:05:05","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T11:05:05","slug":"the-rising-tide-of-cargo-fire-incidents-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oneocean.com\/insights\/the-rising-tide-of-cargo-fire-incidents-2","title":{"rendered":"Steady at the helm: how maritime leaders can respond to rapid change\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Leading a maritime business right now must feel like sailing a ship through an endless storm, with unpredictable weather ahead and no clear sense of what lies beneath the keel. Tariffs, wars, accelerating regulatory change, environmental pressures, future fuel uncertainty, economic volatility and the rapid transformation of technology\u2026 these are just a few of the challenges contributing to an ever-changing climate in which to do business.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt a recent industry conference, ship owners were saying they\u2019ve seen more change in the past year than the previous 30,\u201d says Jeremy Daoust, Head of Market Management & Insights at OneOcean. \u201cAnd every change stays, it doesn\u2019t replace the last, so there is a compound effect.\u201d<\/p>\n

So how do you respond when the sea never settles and the winds of change keep blowing gales?<\/p>\n

The digital imperative<\/strong><\/h6>\n

Despite this pressure, a surprising share of the market still runs on manual processes, which take longer and are more prone to human error.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s still a portion of the market that believes they don\u2019t need to change, so that they can control their costs,\u201d says Alex Mangan, Chief Marketing Officer at OneOcean. \u201cBut if you don\u2019t go digital you run the risk of being left behind. By embracing digital solutions, you\u2019re setting yourself up for more efficiency and predictability in your operations.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also about how ready you are right now. Alex says in the face of uncertainty many fleet operators will run their ships for longer than originally planned, waiting to see what industry trends emerge and which way to place their bets in terms of vessel type, fuel choices and so on. Digital tools can play a key role in helping them make informed decisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can help them make their existing fleet perform as well as possible\u2026 and we intend to leverage data to help them plan for tomorrow by providing new insights that don\u2019t exist today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alex\u2019s message is clear: embracing digital tools helps you respond more effectively today and stay agile for the future.<\/p>\n

Automate compliance intelligence<\/strong><\/h6>\n

Regulations change ever more quickly, and the interaction between global and local rules is becoming increasingly complex.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re already at full capacity,\u201d says Barry Hooper, VP of Product & Technology for OneOcean \u201cYou don\u2019t have the bandwidth to track every new regulation.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s essential to know your solution provider has the expertise to support you so that you can always trust the insights provided. In the case of OneOcean, regulations are actively monitored, content curated and updated by regulatory experts with a maritime background, who know what\u2019s needed and when.<\/p>\n

Jeremy Daoust explains: \u201cAn update to ballast water regulations? We ingest it, code it, push it through. Your crew sees it in their software \u2013 what to do, what not to do \u2013 and gets all of the relevant and related regulations in one place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barry Hooper spent the first decade of his career at sea, working up to Chief Mate. He remembers the days \u2013 not very long ago \u2013 when you could fit all regulations around discharges onto a single MARPOL poster. Things are very different now in every area of regulation, especially regarding the environment. That\u2019s why software like OneOcean EnviroManager+<\/a> is so important.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no way you can teach a navigation officer on board all of this data, because it changes so often,\u201d he says. \u201cSo, the idea of EnviroManager+ is to expose that in a very visual way to the seafarer, backed up by the latest regulations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ship-to-shore: the trend towards integration<\/strong><\/h6>\n

That growing digital connection between ship and shore is creating a deeper shift in how fleets are supported.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, most decisions are taken on board,\u201d says Tony Brown, SVP of Product – Navigation & Compliance at OneOcean. \u201cBut AI and analytics are more powerful onshore \u2013 and this is prompting shipping companies to increase their investment in fleet operation centres staffed by experienced maritime professionals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tony views this as an ongoing journey – one in which the growing exchange of data between ship and shore is enhancing shore-based support, empowering Masters to make more informed decisions at sea.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstalling digital solutions onboard is the first step in enabling the flow of data between ship and shore – a foundation that can be expanded over time as these technologies evolve with new features and capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

He says the maritime industry has entered a new era in which the ships benefit from enhanced shoreside support, with the Captains and their teams using state of the art digital solutions powered by high quality data and advanced analytics.<\/p>\n

Geopolitical turbulence: being agile is critical<\/strong><\/h6>\n

The political climate can be as big a factor as the natural one, with sudden regulatory changes, sanctions, or other international developments providing frequent jolts to the best laid plans. It means being agile is simply what\u2019s required. As ever, knowledge is power.<\/p>\n

Recent trade and security developments, including shifting tariff policies, sanctions, and port restrictions, continue to demonstrate how politics reshape global shipping. Ship managers often need to adjust routes or cargo operations in response, relying on accurate, real-time data to make the right decisions. Data solutions such as the Port API<\/a> from OneOcean help them make real-time decisions about where to go.<\/p>\n

\u201cFleet managers can see, in real-time, how busy a port is, what type of vessels are arriving, and how long they\u2019re staying,\u201d explained Marco Del Percio, OneOcean\u2019s Product Manager for APIs. \u201cAnd through our APIs, you can choose to integrate that directly into your ops dashboard, so you can digest it and analyse it in a way that works for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, of course, Passage Planning software<\/a> becomes a critical part of rerouting. It\u2019s a world where speed of thought and the ability to respond quickly and compliantly are becoming ever more important. Those doing so without the help of digital tools are at a disadvantage.<\/p>\n

Ready to respond?<\/strong><\/h6>\n

And that\u2019s the point. In this new era, knowing what\u2019s happening isn\u2019t enough; operators must be able to react.<\/p>\n

This raises some essential questions:<\/p>\n