The deployment of increasingly automated and autonomous maritime systems is becoming a reality and will have positive impacts on productivity, emissions, and environmental management, as well as undertaking operations in complex environments.
However, a shift in how these unmanned technologies are tested and certified is required. Without the capacity to assure Maritime Autonomous Systems (MAS), exploitation and benefits will be significantly inhibited which will slow and limit innovation and ecosystem growth potential.
The Maritime Autonomy Assurance Testbed (MAAT) programme, developed by a consortium of organisations over the last 24 months, is setting out to accelerate an easy to adopt solution to the challenge of assured operations of MAS.
The objective is to create a set of reliable tools and methodologies to demonstrate the safety, reliability and efficiency across all MAS, through an approach that is driven by data and based on evidence. Development of standardised tests, methodologies, and reporting, adopting best practices from other sectors will allow a proportional approach to the assurance of systems.
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What will be the impact from MAAT?
MAAT will deliver a reliable and accessible assurance framework, enabling both validated testing across virtual and physical environments and operational assurance of uncrewed and remotely operated systems. It will allow the UK to credibly shape future international standards, ensuring economic benefit and trade opportunities from one of the fastest growing industries of the next two decades.
International shipping means that solutions require international perspective and collaborations. The MAAT partners are actively engaged internationally to identify areas of common research and development activity. This includes a UK led summit during Singapore Maritime Week, hosted by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in partnership with the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Singapore.
This one day summit brings together international stakeholders and thought leaders from over 20 organisations to share the latest insights on developments in Maritime Autonomous technologies and operational use cases. Participants will learn about outputs from existing research on testing, standards, assurance, and opportunities to foster international collaborations. The event programme will focus on developing an internationally integrated strategy to achieve Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) adoption at a scale where the true economic and security benefits can be realised.
Download the summit agenda here