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1 INTRODUCTION
The current convergence of maritime technology and
artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the
global shipping industry. The development of
autonomous ships follows a progressive trajectory
from conventional manual control toward the fully
autonomous. However, all technological innovations
require updated education and training to cover the
demands of new job creation [1]. While the
International Maritime Organization (IMO) [2] is
engaged in meeting the goal to include autonomous
ships in existing regulations, maritime education and
training institutions (METIs) should be upgrading
their programmes to prepare the professionals of the
future. This means specialised and qualified staff who
are capable of handling all new technologies and
developments, both on board and ashore.
As per the latest report by EMSA [3] in relation to
future crews and operators’ tasks, it is evident that,
beyond the competences mandated by STCW
Convention programmes, the development of
supplementary ones will be essential in meeting the
changing demands of emerging maritime professions
and future occupational roles. These new skills,
knowledge and personal and social abilities are being
captured and listed as groundwork for future training
programmes that are still under development.
Several researchers have made efforts to identify
new competences and topics to be taken into account
as part of future MET programmes [4,5]. For instance,
Sharma and Kim evaluated the significance of the
existing 66 knowledge, understanding and proficiency
(KUP) requirements in STCW table A-II/1 and
concluded that 26 of them were less relevant in
remotely controlled maritime autonomous surface
Adapting Maritime Education for the Autonomous Era:
A Pilot Program as Approach for MASS Operator
Training
C. Campos
1
, M. Castells-Sanabra
1
, K. De Hert
2
, A. Gundić
3
, M. Valčić
3
, C. Hovden
4
& C. Borén
1
1
Technical University of Catalonia, Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
2
University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
3
University of Zadar, Zadar, Croatia
4
University of South-Eastern Norway, Horten, Norway
ABSTRACT: The technological advancements leading to fully autonomous transportation systems are already
shaping the fleets of the future. Contrary to expectations, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems are
increasing the demand for highly skilled crews and operators. Based on the EMSA report and a new non-
mandatory International Code for Safety for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS Code), it is justified
that MASS operators require STCW training as a baseline. These findings underscore the pressing need for
Maritime Education and Training Institutions (METIs) to work diligently to promptly update their curricula. As
part of a coordinated initiative to incorporate MASS into MET, four European METIs have collaborated to develop
a new Blended Intensive Programme. This paper introduces the aforementioned course implemented as a pilot
program in the second semester of the 2024-2025 academic year. Findings can guide the development of future
curriculum, support the standardization of training programs across METIs, and help to establish international
recommendations for maritime education in the era of autonomous systems.
http://www.transnav.eu
the International Journal
on Marine Navigation
and Safety of Sea Transportation
Volume 19
Number 3
September 2025
DOI: 10.12716/1001.19.03.15
824
ships (MASS) operations and that 11 new competences
and cognitive skills should be included [6,7]. In another
study, Kim and Mallam revealed that the main
determinants for reliable MASS operations are the
ability to apply decision-making techniques, handle
large amounts of data and maintain situational
awareness [8]. Very similar findings emerged from
Saha’s research [9], which proposed key competences
for future shore control centre operators, with the three
essential ones being system understanding,
communication and technical knowledge, and
maritime skills. Nasur and Bogusławski [10] identified
autonomous merchant ships as a topic that is rarely
addressed in maritime curricula and emphasised the
importance of including comprehensive coverage of
MASS in METIs.
As pointed out in previous studies [11,12,13], the
suggestion to remove some competences might not be
the main target. Conversely, including new topics
and/or improving existing ones to adapt to new
developments is the path ahead for future
programmes. However, there is still much work to be
done regarding maritime education and training in the
context of unmanned ships. Several European
maritime educational institutions have already
incorporated autonomous shipping concepts in their
curricula while the rest are trying to gradually
incorporate similar fundamentals in their training
programmes. For instance, Novia University of
Applied Sciences (Finland) and Nikola Vaptsarov
Naval Academy (Bulgaria) have already taken concrete
steps in this direction. Others have contributed as
research partners in various European projects—for
example, Aalborg University (Denmark) in the AEGIS
project [14], and the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
in AUTOSHIP [15]. Notably, the University of South-
Eastern Norway has collaborated with DNV,
Wilhelmsen and Kongsberg on projects related to
MASS management, including the development of
future training courses for remote control operators,
which is particularly significant. Most of these
institutions maintain close ties with companies
developing technologies for autonomous vessels,
granting them access to cutting-edge simulators and
emerging remote control systems. Through their
research, projects and academic initiatives, they are
actively shaping the next generation of maritime
professionals.
With the idea of developing a future curriculum
focused on MASS, an Erasmus+ blended intensive
programme (BIP) has been designed by four European
universities: the University of South-Eastern Norway
(USN), the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
in Spain, the University of Zadar (UNIZD) in Croatia
and the Antwerp Maritime Academy (AMA) in
Belgium. It involved a comprehensive global vision
of the sector from a technical and operational point of
view, with the objective of promoting new training
content.
This represents an initial step toward the
development of a revised maritime curriculum that is
more closely aligned with the projected needs of the
future maritime industry. The main objective of this
contribution is to introduce the insights and outcomes
of this newly developed BIP that has been designed to
integrate MASS into current maritime training and
guide the development of future programmes.
Following the introduction and background section
(Section 1), the methodology applied in this study is
described in Section 2. The results are presented in
Section 3, including a student pre-survey analysis and
the course programme description. Then, the
implementation of the BIP course is analysed as a pilot
(Section 4). Finally, the discussion, conclusions and the
synthesis of the findings are presented in the final
sections (Section 5 and Section 6).
2 METHODOLOGY
The methodology followed in this study is shown in
Figure 1.
Figure 1. Methodology of the study
In the initial phase, a pre-survey (questionnaire)
was conducted among bachelor’s and master’s
students from three METIs to assess students'
knowledge and interest in MASS, namely, the AMA,
the UNIZD and the UPC. The questionnaire was set at
the beginning of the first semester of the 2024-2025
academic year. The questions were divided into four
sections: a) the respondents’ profiles; b) their
knowledge of autonomous shipping; c) their views on
the social and ethical implications of MASS and d) the
importance of including autonomous shipping for
updated educational and professional development.
From the results of the questionnaire, a conceptual
course was designed during the first semester of the
2024-2025 academic year. Afterwards, a new course
entitled “The Fundamentals of Maritime Autonomy:
Principles and Technological Concepts” was
implemented in the spring of 2025 (February–May
2025) as a pilot. This pilot course allowed materials and
assessment methods to be tested. Feedback from
participants was collected and analysed for further
improvement. The pilot course was divided into four
modules and included various activities and a final
assessment. To evaluate the course, students
completed both a pre-test and a post-test, which
included identical questions to facilitate a comparative
analysis of the results. Additionally, a final
questionnaire was administered to gather feedback on
various aspects of the course’s implementation,
including its structure, instructor performance and the
relevance of the associated module content. The
analysis of the data was both quantitative and
qualitative. The outcomes of the implementation of the
course were analysed to gather information on
participants’ opinions and possible improvements to
enhance future programmes in relation to MASS.
3 RESULTS
3.1 Pre-survey
A total of 233 complete responses and 84 partial ones
were collected from students across the three
universities (50.64% from the AMA, 36.48% from the
UPC and 12.88% from the UNIZD). Of the students,
825
94.42% were under 30 years old and just 1.29% were
over 50, and 81.12% of them defined themselves as
male and 18.03% as female, which aligns with the
typical gender distribution in METIs. Regarding their
academic background, 75.11% were enrolled in
nautical bachelor’s degrees (BSc), 18.45% were from
marine engineering bachelor’s degree disciplines and
6.44% were enrolled in master’s degrees (MSc); 36.91%
were finishing their studies.
The sample reflects a broad spectrum of students in
terms of gender, age, academic background and
academic career stage, which provides a
comprehensive basis for the initial situation regarding
students’ interest in MASS.
The second set of questions focuses on students’
knowledge of autonomous shipping to identify
whether there is a need to increase their understanding
and skills on this topic.
Figure 2. Distribution of the familiarity with the concept of
MASS and/or remote operations centres (ROCs) (based on
participants’ responses)
As we can see in Figure 2, out of 233 responses, over
50% reported modest or no knowledge of MASS and/or
ROCs, while 40% were somewhat familiar with them,
with just a few answers demonstrating relevant
knowledge of the subject. Of the master’s students, 50%
had moderate knowledge of these subjects, which is
likely due to most of them having a professional
background as well as higher education and training
that involve more knowledge of new technologies.
The third part of the questionnaire looks into the
social and ethical implications of MASS. As shown in
Figure 3, most of the participants were interested in
social, economic and environmental awareness and
education on MASS.
Figure 3. Number of participants who agree that they should
receive education on social, economic and environmental
impacts (based on participants’ responses)
An overwhelming majority of the students (96.5%)
agreed on the importance of incorporating these topics
in their curricula. Of them, 67% were from the
bachelor’s degrees, with the responses from master’s
students being more neutral.
Finally, the fourth set of questions looks into the
relevance of receiving more educational and
professional training in relation to MASS. As shown in
Figure 4, more than 96% of participants agreed that
knowledge related to autonomous vessels should be
included in their current degree programmes and that
incorporating these subjects in their programmes was
important.
Figure 4. Distribution of participants who agree that
knowledge about autonomous vessels should be
incorporated in their degree programmes (based on
participants’ responses)
These preliminary results highlight the importance
and relevance of the initiative to develop new
programmes, courses and training that meet students’
need to be able to respond to the changing needs of the
maritime industry of the future.
To address the need for foundational knowledge in
the field of autonomous vessels, the creation of an
introductory course offering a broad overview of
contemporary developments, regulatory frameworks,
ongoing projects and other relevant aspects of
autonomous vessels is fully warranted.
3.2 Model course proposal
Based on the need detected, a new conceptual course
was designed. The main characteristics of this course
are shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Framework of the course
Title
Duration
Objectives
Teaching
methodology
Type
Structure
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3.2.1 Course content
The course combines theoretical classes and
practical experiences and is divided into four modules.
Each theoretical module spans a three-week period
(totalling 12 hours) via online sessions. The Moodle
platform was used to support and facilitate interaction.
The modules’ content is summarised below.
Module 1: Introduction to MASS and ROCs. The
initial module provides students with foundational
knowledge related to autonomy and autonomous
vessels, covering topics such as degrees of autonomy
(DA), levels of autonomy (LOA) and human-
automation interaction (HAI). An overview of current
regulations and the work of the Maritime Safety
Committee (MSC) is addressed and the non-
mandatory MASS code is presented. The remote
operations centres’ features, facilities and organisation
are presented together with knowledge of ongoing
research projects worldwide. To end this module, the
STCW competences related to MASS are analysed with
students and the advantages and disadvantages of
current changes are listed. Additionally, this module
includes seminars on the MASS code and legal
framework, the application of artificial intelligence (AI)
on vessels and the design of an autonomous prototype.
These multidisciplinary seminars help students to
increase their comprehension of the topic.
Furthermore, group exercises and discussions
assessments prepare students for the following
modules and enhance their comprehension.
Module 2: Human factor, human-machine
interaction and cybersecurity. Students are introduced
to the main concepts related to human factors and
situational awareness in the context of autonomous
shipping by examining the role of the operator in
remote settings and the influence of attention, decision-
making and workload on system safety. The principles
of user-centred design and usability frameworks are
addressed, focusing on their relevance for human-
machine interaction (HMI) development and remote
operations centres (ROCs) operations. Communication
flows and information-sharing strategies within ROCs
are analysed to identify best practices and potential
challenges in maintaining efficient coordination.
A general introduction to maritime cybersecurity is
presented, covering common types of cyberattacks and
how they can affect the interconnected systems used in
MASS. The importance of cybersecurity in ensuring
safe MASS operations is emphasised. Students are
introduced to basic principles of prevention, detection
and response to cyber incidents in a remote control
environment. To end this module, students reflect on
the interaction between humans and automated
systems and the associated risks and responsibilities.
Seminars on usability, human error and cybersecurity
scenarios help students to increase their
comprehension of the topic.
Module 3: Operational aspects of unmanned and
autonomous vessels. This module covers the following
sections: applications and operational assumptions in
the design of autonomous vessels; electronic
navigation and communication support systems; ship
dynamics and manoeuvring characteristics of vessels;
technological improvements of ports and terminals;
economic perspectives in autonomous maritime
transport; aspects of navigation safety, environmental
protection and pollution control; and STCW and non-
STCW training requirements for autonomous vessel
operators.
In the concluding part, students are organised into
small groups and assigned seminar topics that mirror
the lecture’s thematic structure. Each group is
responsible for preparing a focused section of a
collective report and presenting its findings in class.
Each participant defends their contribution during an
open discussion, fielding questions from peers and the
professor. This approach is introduced to cultivate
critical engagement with the material, foster
collaborative research skills and ensure that all
students thoroughly understand maritime autonomy's
operational dimensions.
Module 4: Practical and basic simulation on MASS
and ROCs. This module constitutes the face-to-face and
most practical part. Students have the opportunity to
visit a remote operations centre and an autonomous
vessel to put all the knowledge acquired in the
previous modules into practice. Additionally, they
have simulation lessons in several operational
situations and with differing autonomy levels. The
principal structure is as follows: visit to ROC simulator;
visit to MASS vessel; demonstration on maritime
autonomy; robot navigation exercises; and final
assessment and group presentation.
3.2.2 Course assessment
Course assessment comprises several assessment
methods, such as a continuous and formative
appraisal. Each theoretical module makes up 20% of
the credit load. The remaining 40% is attained at the
end of the course in a final symposium with a group
presentation and a discussion session conducted
during the face-to-face module.
The final assessment is structured into distinct
stages to foster active and cooperative learning.
Initially, each student engages in an individual
preparation stage, during which they independently
formulate questions and develop responses. This is
followed by a collaborative group session in which
students consolidate their individual contributions.
Within the group, participants are required to organise,
compare, categorise and critically evaluate all
proposed answers in order to identify the most
relevant and high-quality responses. These selected
responses are subsequently presented to other groups
and submitted for evaluation by the instructors.
This pedagogical framework promotes cooperative
learning—a well-established instructional approach
that is known to enhance cognitive development,
deepen conceptual understanding and foster the
acquisition of both disciplinary knowledge and cross-
disciplinary skills such as critical thinking,
communication and teamwork.
Attendance is systematically recorded and
constitutes a compulsory component of students’ final
assessment.
3.2.3 Course competences
A list of competences and related KUPs is shown in
Table 2.
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Table 2. List of course competences
Competence
Knowledge, understanding and proficiency
Assessment
Assessment criteria
Fundamentals of
Maritime
Autonomy
Ability to identify degrees of autonomy
Assessment of evidence
obtained from
theoretical and
practical demonstration
or examination
Legislative requirements,
fundamentals and basic contents are
correctly identified.
Knowledge of the fundamentals of autonomous vessels
Knowledge of the fundamentals of remote operations
centres
Ability to analyse regulations governing autonomous
vessels
Ability to analyse the new competences related to
autonomous vessels
Knowledge of the fundamentals of the MASS code
Identification,
prevention and
mitigation of
cyber attacks
Ability to analyse the human factor in relation to
autonomous shipping
Assessment of evidence
obtained from
theoretical and
practical demonstration
or examination
Fundamentals and basic contents are
correctly identified.
Knowledge of the fundamentals of user-centred design and
usability frameworks for HMI design and ROC operations
Ability to identify and understand appropriate
communication and information sharing in ROC operations
Ability to identify, prevent and mitigate cyber-attacks’
General remote
control
operations of the
vessel under
navigation
Knowledge of the applications of and operational
assumptions in the design of autonomous vessels
Assessment of evidence
obtained from
theoretical and
practical demonstration
or examination
Fundamentals and basic contents are
correctly identified.
Ability to operate electronic navigation and communication
support systems
Knowledge of ship dynamics and manoeuvring
characteristics of autonomous vessels
Knowledge of the technological improvements of ports and
terminals and the economic perspectives of autonomous
maritime transportation
Ability to establish and maintain navigation safety,
environmental protection and pollution control
Control of
sensors and
automation
systems
Handling and manoeuvring ability
Ability to operate an autonomous vessel in different
situations
Ability to communicate and handled dangerous situations
Leadership and teamwork
Assessment of evidence
obtained from practical
demonstration or
examination in an
approved simulator
training session
The handling and manoeuvring of
the vessel comply with procedures
to maintain navigation safety.
The handling of dangerous situations
complies with international
regulations and normal procedures.
Communications are clearly
understood and consistently
successful.
4 PILOT COURSE
Based on the proposed course, a blended intensive
programme (BIP) was implemented by four maritime
education and training institutions (METIs) during the
second semester of the 2024-2025 academic year
(February–May 2025). A BIP is an Erasmus+ short,
intensive programme that uses innovative ways of
learning and teaching, including the use of short online
cooperation challenge-based courses that combine
online collaboration and a brief physical mobility in
which students meet face-to-face [16].
4.1 Course specifications
As a BIP, this course is divided into two
complementary components: a theoretical segment
and a practical one. The theoretical component is
delivered through the systematic presentation of key
topics, aimed at establishing the conceptual, normative
and doctrinal foundations of the discipline. In parallel,
the practical component is developed in a coordinated
manner through student-led resolution of applied
exercises and case studies, designed to reinforce and
contextualise the theoretical knowledge acquired. This
BIP is an elective course with a credit load of 6 ECTS
credits, in accordance with the European Higher
Education Area (EHEA) framework.
The BIP course partners are the following ones:
− The University of South-Eastern Norway (USN),
the host university, which has a competence
framework, training programme and pilot course
for land operators of autonomous ships to create a
specific training programme for qualified
navigators to become land-based operators of
autonomous ships.
− The Barcelona School of Nautical Studies (FNB) of
the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, in Spain,
the coordinator, which has projects and doctoral
research related to MASS under way.
− The Maritime Department of the University of
Zadar (UNIZD), in Croatia, a partner institution,
already offers an undergraduate course on the
dynamic positioning of marine vessels and a
graduate course on MASS. The Department is also
involved in numerous research projects on
autonomous navigation, digital innovations,
artificial intelligence and modern seafarer training
programmes.
− The Antwerp Maritime Academy (AMA), in
Belgium, a partner institution, which integrates
MASS-related training and research through
international collaboration, simulator-based
learning and studies on the evolving role of the
navigator, with a focus on the human element in
autonomous ship operations.
The BIP´s schedule is shown in Table 3.
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Table 3. BIP schedule
Week /Period
Module
Type
MET
responsible
Weeks 1 to 3.
17 February-7
March 2025
Pre-test Module 1. Welcome to
the BIP and introduction to
MASS and ROCs Includes: -
Seminar on autonomous
navigation legislation in Spain.
- Seminar on the application of
intelligence in tugboats. -
Seminar on the NASHI project.
Design and construction of an
autonomous LCC prototype.
Virtual
FNB
Weeks 4 to 6.
10–28 March
2025
Module 2. Human factors,
human-machine interactions
and cybersecurity
Virtual
AMA
Weeks 7 to 9.
31 March-25
April 2025
Module 3. Operational aspects
of unmanned and autonomous
vessels
Virtual
UNIZD
Week 10. 28
April – 2 May
2025
Deadline for course
tasks/theory assessment
Virtual
FNB/
AMA/
UNIZD
Week 11. 05-09
May 2025
Module 4. Practical and basic
simulation on MASS and ROCs
and final assessment/post-test
Final questionnaire
On-site
USN
Due to BIP funding requirements, there is a limit of
only 20 students. However, two more students were
sponsored by their university so finally 22 students
were selected from the non-hosting universities: 6 from
the FNB, 7 from the AMA and the last 9 from the
UNIZD. Of them, 90% are younger than 30 years, and
only 14% are women. Regarding their degrees, 50% are
from the bachelor's degree in Nautical Science, 25%
belong to the bachelor's degree in Marine Engineering,
25% are from the master's degree in Nautical Science
and the rest are from the master's degree in Marine
Engineering. Eleven professors and professionals
offering seminars have made the implementation of
this pilot course possible
4.2 Course assessment
The analysis of students’ grades indicates a
homogeneous academic performance, even though
their backgrounds and profiles were diverse (see
Figure 5).
Figure 5. Students’ final grades (based on participants’ global
assessment)
Therefore, these results are a very successful
outcome for all the professors, as it proves that the
content has been transmitted within a good framework
and proper methods.
5 DISCUSSION
In order to analyse the achievements obtained by the
students quantitatively, a post-test was conducted with
the same pre-test questions. The responses obtained
were analysed to determine whether there was any
significant difference between the pre- and post-test
results among the students that took the pilot course.
The main finding is that the goal of enhancing
knowledge of MASS was achieved, as shown in
Figure 6.
Figure 6. Distribution of familiarity with the concept of
MASS and/or ROCs (based on participants’ responses)
The results revealed that the implementation of the
course brought notable changes in students’
knowledge and perceptions.
Another relevant outcome emerged when
participants were asked about receiving further
educational and professional training in relation to
autonomous vessels. As shown in Figure 7, the
“Strongly agree” result on including knowledge
related to autonomous vessels in their current degree
programmes increased from 55% to almost 70%. It is
important to emphasise that in both tests none of the
responses came out as a negative answer.
Figure 7. Distribution of participants who agree on the need
to include knowledge about autonomous vessels in their
degree programmes (based on participants’ responses)
The result shows that, the more they know about
autonomy, the more they realise that there is a need to
include this topic in their degrees. This highlights the
need for enhanced efforts to expand the range of topics
and subjects related to MASS and ROCs, thereby
enabling a greater number of students to attain
comprehensive and in-depth knowledge in this field.
At the end of the course, a final questionnaire was
sent to all participants, with the aim of qualitatively
analysing satisfaction with the pilot course, including
aspects such as structure, professors, academic aspects
and activities.
829
To highlight some of the results obtained, as shown
in Figure 8, 90% of the students “Agree” and “Fully
agree” that they are satisfied with the academic aspects
of the theory modules.
Figure 8. Satisfaction with the academic aspects of the theory
part (based on participants’ responses)
Similar results were achieved when respondents
were asked about the seminars held during the initial
weeks of the course.
Regarding the practical part, as shown in Figure 9,
student satisfaction exceeded 90% for most of the
activities performed.
Figure 9. Satisfaction with the practical activities (based on
participants’ responses)
Therefore, it is relevant to say that the course was
very satisfying and rewarding for most of the students.
As part of the qualitative analysis, how to enhance
students’ understanding of these new topics is an
important matter to be discussed. The availability of
appropriate materials and the equipment employed,
the capacity of the professors, the seminars and the
agility and flexibility with which the course can be
adapted to developments are some of the key points to
be evaluated and upgraded based on the outcome.
Regarding materials and equipment, the virtual
training plan for the theory part, which included group
exercises, online discussions and seminars by
professionals related to the MASS field, gave students
a broader view and better context of the current status
of the matter. Students were surveyed regarding the
perceived adequacy of the virtual platform,
audiovisual resources and supporting technological
infrastructure; Figure 10 shows that between 70% and
80% of them considered the tools used to be fully
appropriate.
Figure 10. Students’ opinion on the virtual platform, audio-
visual media and technological infrastructure (based on
participants’ responses)
Overall, the instructors’ evaluations revealed that
student satisfaction with professors and seminar
leaders exceeded 80%.
As for the open questions about what the students
would improve or change, most of the answers were in
respect of the practical part. The students suggested
more practical activities and more activities in general
as the main aspects to be improved, as well as
including practicals in the ROC simulators to emulate
a range of autonomous navigation scenarios. This
aspect is surely the main one to reinforce on upcoming
courses as it will enhance the context of the course.
These results suggest that students not only
expected to deepen their knowledge of this topic, they
also wanted to develop their skills at the operational
level. This reflects the aspiration to update their
curricula in relation to MASS.
As a result of their feedback, while waiting for the
outcomes from the next master’s degree sessions [2]
and future courses from the EMSA [3], METIs should
concentrate on those new topics to be developed and
welcomed in order to adapt and update their curricula
to technological improvements and the future specific
needs of the maritime sector.
In relation to the BIP, it will have to be updated
continuously, and more activities and practical hours
must be added.
6 CONCLUSIONS
The main goal of this paper is to propose a new training
approach that ensures a comprehensive preparation of
students for the complexities of working with MASS.
To achieve this objective, new content in the maritime
curriculum was designed to address the following key
areas:
− MASS concepts, technologies and fundamental
principles that power these vessels.
− Autonomy Levels and being able to evaluate the
operational, legal, ethical, and safety implications of
each one, preparing students for decision-making in
real-world scenarios.
− Human factors and integration of human operators
with automated systems.
− Cybersecurity, network systems and
communication technologies.
− Remote control operations and e-navigation.
By addressing these areas in the curriculum, the
training will prepare students to meet the challenges
830
posed by MASS technology, ensuring they are well
equipped to contribute to the industry’s future
developments. Students will acquire the ability to think
critically about the integration of technology,
understand the broader sociotechnical implications
and confidently navigate the new maritime landscape.
In order to expand this knowledge in a general way
within the maritime curriculum, an option would be to
include this training in Section B of the future STCW as
a guideline on the minimum knowledge to be achieved
on autonomous vessels, with the flexibility to be
updated and adapted to the sector’s specific needs as it
changes and develops.
The initiative to introduce new topics into future
maritime bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes
is indeed a forward-thinking strategy. While the
process may take time, it is essential to ensure that
existing curricula are reviewed thoroughly and
updated to reflect the rapid advancements in MASS.
As technology continues to evolve, staying current
with new developments will be crucial in maintaining
the relevance and quality of educational programmes.
Once basic knowledge is acquired, additional
competences and topics should be added to future
courses, as previously suggested by other researchers
[6-10]. Skills such as teamwork, quick thinking,
confidence and self-discipline might be important
attitudes to be developed. Moreover, it is essential to
introduce new subjects or upgrade and update current
ones. It is important not only to add new subjects but
also to address emerging skills and competences that
will be vital for future maritime professionals. This
includes knowledge on remote control operations,
autonomy systems, data analysis, cybersecurity and
the integration of AI and machine learning in maritime
technologies. We should ensure that future seafarers
are well prepared, whether they continue their roles on
board ships or operate them remotely from control
centres. This proactive approach will help prevent gaps
in knowledge and equip professionals with the tools
needed to adapt to future challenges and opportunities
in the maritime industry.
The focus on upgrading existing degree
programmes is the key to staying ahead of industry
developments, anticipating future trends and
effectively preparing students for the evolving
landscape of maritime operations.
FUNDING
Academic staff and students’ mobility was supported by
European Union ERASMUS+ program for education,
training, youth and sport.
ACKNOWLEDGE
We greatly acknowledge the academic staff of Autonomy
Research Group at the University of South-Eastern Norway
(USN) for their invaluable support throughout our training.
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