Review 2025 / Preview 2026 (Part 4, companies S to Z)
SMI asked a number of companies across different sectors of the shipping industry what they saw as having been the main trend in their sector during 2025, and how they saw this evolving - or how they would like it to evolve - in 2026?
Below are their answers, listed by company in alpha order, in some cases edited slightly for reasons of space.
SmartSea - Kris Vedat, CEO
In 2025, the standout trend in our sector has been the accelerating adoption of digitalisation. Ship managers are increasingly leaning on digital tools as a core enabler — not just to optimise operations, but to enhance the overall service they can offer owners and crews.
That said, the conversation has shifted. As digital uptake grows, so does exposure. Cybersecurity breaches have become a much more visible issue across industries this year, and maritime is no exception. Going into 2026, cyber shouldn’t be treated as a secondary workstream — it needs to be embedded as a ‘must-have’ alongside any digital strategy.
And underpinning both is data. With wider use of digital systems, data quality becomes critical. Reliable, consistent data is what turns technology into real operational value, and that’s where I’d like to see the industry place even greater focus in 2026.”
Smart Ship Hub - Joy Basu, CEO
In 2025, the most significant trend in the maritime sector has been the rapid shift from exploratory digital projects to measurable, value-driven digitalisation. Owners, operators, charterers, ports, insurers, and OEMs increasingly demanded clear ROI, defined KPIs, and tangible operational outcomes before committing to new solutions. This sharpened focus was fuelled by high-frequency sensor data, rising automation of manual tasks, interoperable IoT gateways, and API-driven data exchange, all of which fundamentally improved agility, accuracy, and turnaround times. Digital platforms are enabling personalised and custom services, which are now becoming more accessible. At the same time, expanding data volumes also elevated the urgency of cyber assurance and modern governance frameworks, marking 2025 as the year when digitalisation became not just a competitive advantage, but a structural requirement across the industry.
By 2026, this trend is poised to evolve into large-scale adoption, integration, and industrialisation of digital platforms and AI-enabled operations. Costs for edge gateways and plug-and-play sensors are expected to drop further, accelerating retrofits and democratising access to high-frequency shipboard data. AI will transition from isolated tools to enterprise-wide systems embedded into onboard workflows, shore management, compliance reporting, procurement, and commercial decision-making. With organisations gearing up for the eventual IMO Net Zero framework, 2026 will likely see a broader shift toward digital platforms that deliver agility, emissions forecasting, predictive insights, and cost savings irrespective of fuel-transition timelines. In short, 2026 will be the year when digitalisation moves from pilots and proofs of concept into mainstream, scalable transformation across the maritime ecosystem.
The Hood - Josephine Le, MD and Founder
The main trend in maritime recruitment in 2025 has been diversity hiring. More and more shipping companies and shipowners are placing focus on promoting women in the workforce, onboard and ashore. At the same time, diversity in crewing resources has been the topic in many companies as well, such as hiring from other regions asides the traditional sources like the Philippines or India.
We expect many fine-tuning in terms of strategy and execution from both trends, as many lessons have been learned this year. For women in shipping, it’s about long-term planning and investment in improving both onboard facilities and career options post sailing. For other nationalities, we would like to see companies investing in providing quality education and training first before mass hiring. Compatibility and cultural training should be assessed and offered to ensure a long-term success for these programs.
The Nautical Institute - David Patraiko FNI, Director of Research and Projects
The word is changing rapidly and 2026 may bring the steepest changes in history, necessitating a critical focus on maritime professionals needing to make ‘informed decisions’ like never before. The Nautical Institute stands to support those professionals.
New and alternative fuels for the reduction of GHG will be in pole position for needing good decisions, not only for the environment and economic effectiveness but also for the safety of those handling these new fuels. Technology such as automation and AI stand to revolutionise shipping operations, but only if they (as they must) integrate with the humans who will need to work with them. Security both physical and cyber will also be a huge challenge for maritime professionals who will need to make daily decisions in this geopolitically challenging world. And with all this change, the wellbeing of our seafarers will need to be carefully managed by professionals both at sea and ashore.
Not only is the world changing fast, but the values and expectations of the new generations are changing as well; how do we ensure the best recruitment, manage evolving competencies and then foster an environment that supports retention?
The Nautical Institute is dedicated to support all maritime professionals to make better decisions, particularly in these changing times. We have a range of membership services, publications and courses. We also support our global community as a maritime charity with free services including our MARS reporting scheme, The Navigator magazine, our STEER Project, free thought leadership webinars and our constant campaign to listen to and engage with all maritime professional on a global basis.
WellAtSea – Gisa Paredes, MD and Partner
From what we are seeing from our BD (Business Development) teams, there has been a stronger focus on the call for services in mental health, mental health assessments and wellbeing programmes over this last year.
With various vendors providing services that remain separate, I would say it is important to work with a group like ours that encompasses all areas of health and wellbeing for seafarer welfare. One group to refer to, one group to deliver on their in-house strategies and customisation requirements and one group that can support them consistently throughout.
Looking to 2026, we expect this momentum to accelerate. Fleets will demand modern, standardised reporting tools, automated QA and end-to-end data chains that reduce workload both onboard and ashore. The companies that win won’t just be the ones with the slickest dashboards, but those that prioritise accuracy, usability and shipowner empowerment — and use AI to turn reliable data into real operational value.