# Discovering Trends in the Digitalization of Shipping:
## 4 Analysis
### Detecting Topics from Presentations
#### 4.2.3 Principal Topics  
The heatmap in Figure 7 shows the normalized frequency of presentations by topic and year. The more intense the color, the higher the frequency. The Theil--Sen regression [21] gives us the evolution over the years. Table 4 provides more details. Figure 6: (**a**) Intertopic distance map principal topics. (**b**) Fine-grained topics. Figure 7: Normalized number of presentations by principal topic by year: heatmap. Normalization was required, as is shown in Table 4, due to the high fluctuations in the number of presentations by year. The number of presentations by topic was divided by the number of the presentations of the concerned year. The darker the color, the higher the frequency of the topic in that year. The rows show the normalized evolution of the topic over the years. The columns show the relative importance of the topics within a year. The most important topics were Cybersecurity and risk management and Global satellite coverage. The Theil-Sen regression of Figure 8 shows the evolution of the topics over the years. There was an increase in interest in smart ports and supply chain management. There is a decrease in interest in cybersecurity and risk management, and in Global satellite coverage. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Topic** & **2016** & **2017** & **2018** & **2019** & **2020** & **2021** & **2022** & **2023** \\ \hline Smart ports and supply chain management & 49\% & 50\% & 50\% & 60\% & 100\% & 58\% & 67\% & 70\% \\ \hline Cybersecurity and risk management & 30\% & 27\% & 23\% & 22\% & 0\% & 42\% & 20\% & 30\% \\ \hline Maritime autonomous surface ships & 14\% & 14\% & 8\% & 13\% & 0\% & 0\% & 12\% & 0\% \\ \hline Digital transformation strategies & 0\% & 5\% & 6\% & 2\% & 0\% & 0\% & 0\% & 0\% \\ \hline Smart shipping and autonomous vessels & 2\% & 0\% & 4\% & 1\% & 0\% & 0\% & 0\% & 0\% \\ \hline Maritime connectivity & 5\% & 4\% & 3\% & 1\% & 0\% & 0\% & 0\% & 0\% \\ \hline Global satellite coverage & 0\% & 0\% & 5\% & 0\% & 0\% & 0\% & 0\% & 0\% \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: Normalized number of presentations by principal topic by year. Figure 8: Theil–Sen Regressions by topic. Table 4 presents the normalized number of presentations by principal topic by year, unveiling several key insights into industry trends and interests. The table highlights a marked increase in interest towards smart ports and supply chain management, with interest levels hitting 100% in 2020. This surge underscores a growing focus on digitalization and efficiency enhancements in port operations, reflecting the industry's commitment to adopting cutting-edge technologies to streamline processes. On the cybersecurity and risk management front, the data revealed fluctuations in interest levels over the years. Despite these variations, there was an observable trend of shifting concern and investment in cybersecurity measures. With a peak in 2021, the figures indicate a dynamic landscape of cybersecurity priorities within the industry. Fuel management is as an attention point moderate and constantly present. This indicates that some evolution is going on. Regarding Global satellite coverage, the interest levels have remained relatively low, suggesting a cautious or selective approach toward adopting digitalization and cybersecurity measures across the maritime sector. This indicates that while there is awareness of the importance of cybersecurity, the adoption rate was gradual and not yet widespread. The topic of Supply chain management initially piqued some interest in 2017 but saw a decline in the subsequent years. This trend might reflect a reevaluation of priorities within the industry or challenges in overcoming technological hurdles associated with the deployment of autonomous vessels. Lastly, the exploration of digital transformation strategies, alongside smart shipping, and the Internet of Things (IoT), has consistently attracted minimal interest.