How to be a Star in the Maritime Connectivity Constellation
By: Captain Stu
Tags: Shipping, Future, Maritime Informatics, Technology, Management

Perhaps the biggest driver of maritime informatics and shipping digitalisation has been the changing landscape of satellite communications. Connectivity for ships has made all things possible, but are we any closer to them being probable? Let’s use the medium of astrology to see the future of maritime communications, I have been looking at my tea leaves and bring these pearls of wisdom…

12 SIGNS OF THE CONNECTIVITY ZODIAC

It may seem an odd thing to shoehorn star signs and Starlink, but blame Low Earth Orbit satellites…or LEO as they are known. They got me thinking along tortured metaphors, so let’s get into it.

LEO — “the lion”, is known to be compassionate and big-hearted, driven, and a natural leader…just as LEO satellites have been. Elon Musk’s SpaceX sat comms revolution has seen Starlink LEO change thinking on what is possible when it comes to connectivity. Something which then also ramps up the possibilities for digitalisation and maritime informatics.

LEO satellites circle the earth at lower altitudes than geosynchronous satellites. It is normally at an altitude of less than 1000 km but could be as low as 160 km above Earth. Communications satellites in LEO often work as part of a large combination or constellation, of multiple satellites to give constant coverage, and that is why Musk’s spray painting the sky with LEO satellites is a potential game-changer.

Starlink aims to sell internet connections to almost anyone on the planet by way of a growing network of private satellites orbiting overhead, currently numbering around 2000. Musk says Starlink has shipped more than 100,000 satellite internet terminals to customers in 14 countries. When it comes to maritime connectivity, this lion is roaring, and the rest of the industry is having to take note.

Virgo — “the virginal maiden”…it would perhaps be hard to consider some shipowners in this bracket, but there are many shipping companies who are indeed just dipping their toes into the waters of not just connectivity, but the uses for it.

They are seeing data, digitalisation and maritime informatics as a means of not only doing business better but doing better business. Winning longer-term relationships with charterers, as they are part of the data picture, and embraced not just as a transport tool but as a part of the logistics and supply chain solution.

Libra — “the scales”. When it comes to the digital journey that many shipping companies are on, there is a lot of things to weigh up. So, Libra is perhaps the perfect sign to capture the essence of the decision-making process. According to my Beginners Guide to Astrology, Librans are often concerned with attaining balance, harmony, peace, and justice.

They are known for their vast stores of charm, intelligence, frankness, persuasion, and seamless connectivity, they are well-equipped to do so.

So, the balance is about harnessing what they have, and of making it work — of delivering the benefits that a good business, with proper data flows and means of capturing, analysing and responding to the evidence deserves.

Scorpio — “the scorpion”. Well, just as with any massively important business decision, things such as connectivity and maritime informatics can come with a sting in the tail. The importance of what can be achieved is sometimes overlooked and obscured by a focus on the means of generating, capturing and disseminating information and data.

That is important, obviously, but there needs to be a process and flow. There needs to be a real consideration of the moving parts, the people, the outcomes, hopes, dreams and desires. It is no use just signing up to faster connectivity, to have sensors churning out data, it all needs to come together as a coherent output. The reasons need to be understood and addressed, not just another tick box or bandwagon to be jumped upon.

Digitalisation and the data generated can be hugely significant, but just as the old saying about people knowing the cost of everything, but the value of nothing. The same applies to data. The key to avoiding getting stung is not just seeing numbers, but of seeing reactions to those figures. For every data point action, there needs to be an equal and opposite reaction…which builds to genuine and tangible improvement.

Sagittarius — “the centaur”. A majestic figure, half-man, half-horse. The centaur of mythology is a learned healer whose higher intelligence forms a bridge between Earth and Heaven. These kinds of shipping companies are the purest form of digitalisation devotees. You know the kind, often Scandinavian or German, they have beautiful offices full of smart people doing amazing things.

They invest heavily and can reap the rewards that a data revolution can bring. They understand their seafarers, ships, markets and clients — and dig even deeper through the technological leaps they have been able to take.

The danger for companies looking to ape the Sagittarian approach is that they may indeed create a creature which is half man, half horse — but a horses head on a bloke’s legs isn’t the look we are going for.

Capricorn — “the goat…or “Greatest of All Time”. Perhaps building on the work of the centaur companies, this is the shipping company that has been about digital even before anyone really knew what it meant.

They use data as a lubricant for all parts of the business. It cools down the moving parts, it makes things easier and it allows them the space and time to make good decisions.

You perhaps have a company in mind, but there is jockeying for position as to the GOAT accolade. Similar to Messi and Ronaldo, there are big companies who do data, but do it differently. Some are skilful and low key, they weave data together and take your breath away with the simplistic wonder of what they do with it. Others are showier, and rely on raw power and create their own reality around the depth of data.

Like Highlander though, there can be only one, but it is fun to watch the race to the top for once instead of thinking of shipping as always being about the bottom.

Aquarius –“ the water carrier”. Anyone who has seen Adam Sandler’s artistic tour de force, The Water Boy, will perhaps know the kind of company we are about to touch on. They are around the action, they have the gear, the locker room passes and a notion of what is going on around them.

Alas, they do not have a real sense of what the bigger picture is, or even can be. Some don’t even know there is a picture. They just see the micro view of their business, and they are intensely focused on the minutiae of making money. Which is no bad thing, but does always mean that it can be too easy to be left behind. In constantly sweating the small stuff, the water carrier huffs and puffs, and is there for the immediate reactive things. They tend to be tactical and not strategic. To be a success in the brave new world of the digital transformation companies have to look over the horizon not down at their feet.

Pisces –“ the fish”. All too often one of the major considerations for those entering into their digital journey, or indeed focusing on connectivity and drilling into data, is that of the promises made. Alas, as with so much in life, some things are too good to be true and a little fishy!

Promises of data download speeds, satellite footprints and bandwidth are some of the main connectivity realities which can impact the rest of a ship, fleet or company’s ability to truly revolutionise the way they operate.

Throttled back or sketchy connections are the stuff of nightmares today, and the digital capabilities of companies can be strangled at the dome before they ever reach home. So be careful of connectivity promises, because fall at this first hurdle and the race could be done.

Aries — “the ram”. It would be impossible to characterise a ram without thinking about charging. This is a very sticky area when it comes to maritime connectivity. Get your bandwidth and rates sums wrong, and you will be constantly playing catch-up. This is about the balance between costs and vision, about price and value.

There is seldom a Financial Director that doesn’t wish that fleets would use less data, and ne’er an Operations team that doesn’t wish they could use more. So there is a constant push and pull, and sadly even in the digital age of 1’s and 0’s, it is about the noughts on the end of the invoice that matters most.

Taurus — “the bull”. Ah, you can almost smell the bull when it comes to the promises which some companies make regarding connectivity, or indeed the usefulness of the data that will be generated. Like any new age, some have a worrying habit of over-promising and under-delivering. Often based on something I call, under-understanding.

As a former ship’s Master, it has always been so important to me to be able to really and truly understand not just the solutions which can be provided, but more than that, to dig into the actual problems that clients want solving, or indeed the constraints they may be faced by.

Very quickly it has become apparent that the mission-critical nature of data is rarely if ever, one size fits all. This is great if companies are open-minded, and if providers really want to offer the best solution for the client, not the provider. It can mean real problems if the shipowner doesn’t fully understand what they want and need and if someone comes along talking bull and just lands them with the solution they want to provide. Seeing past the bull and finding the real answers matters, a lot.

Gemini — “the twins”. One of the areas of work that is really gathering pace and importance in shipping is that of digital twins. These are exact replicas of vessels, down to every nut and bolt, but in digital form.

So, we create a highly complex virtual model that is the exact counterpart (or twin) of a physical thing. Connected sensors on the physical asset collect data that can be mapped onto the virtual model. The digital twin then uses the real data through simulation, machine learning and reasoning to help show what the impacts will be on the real vessel.

They help designers, engineers, operators and seafarers understand not only how vessels are performing, but how they will perform in the future. This allows shipping companies to learn more, and faster. They can also break down old boundaries surrounding innovation, complex lifecycles, compliance and the ways that vessels will make them money.

Cancer — “the crab”. Ah, look at those snappy claws, grabbing at all they can get. It may look cute, even funny — but if they latch onto you, then it’ll be screaming not laughing.

There are corporate crabs out there (keep your mind out of the gutter), they move sideways and never really seem to embrace the need to move forward and fast, but they always grab, grab and want more — even though they aren’t fully committing to the digital transformation.

They don’t have a plan as such, they just hear the buzzwords and think by throwing some data around they will make a positive impression. So, they snap their claws at everything, they try and just snatch at anything and everything. No rhyme or reason, no plan, no grand strategy, just stuff. Which is no way to transform a business, and certainly not in a digital sense.

So when you next look to the stars, you may see the decaying black holes of companies who did not get their digitalisation strategies right, and the flashes of light as the shooting stars of those who did, streak across the sky.