UnDocked: The Maritime Transformation Show

Raal Harris and Nick Chubb
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Undocked is a weekly podcast where Nick Chubb and Raal Harris explore what’s changing in maritime and technology. Through candid conversations and guest interviews, the show unpacks emerging trends, overlooked stories, and strategic insights, offering a fresh, unfiltered perspective on the evolving future of one of the world’s oldest industries.

  1. 13h ago

    What SMM 2026 Signals for Shipping, the Rise of the Meat Proxy, and the Return of the Spreadsheet

    Nick returns from SMM Hamburg with a read on where maritime innovation is actually moving: wind propulsion, nuclear, AI, class and new technology hubs. Raal then digs into digital judgement, conflicting data sources and the return of spreadsheets thanks to AI, before the episode ends with a reminder of shipping’s extraordinary role in everyday abundance. CHAPTERS 01:07 How SMM is changing03:21 The Thetius Top 15007:52 Wind propulsion goes mainstream12:39 Maritime AI before the AI boom16:27 Meet the “meat proxy”17:39 Class as an innovation enabler28:25 What people at SMM really think comes next32:03 Shipping’s messy, contextual data problem35:12 Who owns the authoritative version of reality?37:03 Moving decisions closer to the frontline41:32 Critical thinking becomes digital judgement43:16 Are spreadsheets making a comeback?47:22 Ordinary abundance50:13 Pineapples, spices and what shipping lets us take for granted Nick is back from SMM Hamburg, where the exhibition increasingly looks less like a showcase for engines and heavy equipment alone and more like a cross-section of shipping’s technological transition. Using the newly launched Thetius Top 150 as a lens, he picks out several signals from the week: nuclear propulsion moving towards a credible adoption pathway, wind-assisted propulsion shifting decisively from demonstration to commercial scale, and classification societies becoming important enablers rather than inadvertent bottlenecks for new technology. Although maritime has been applying machine learning, computer vision and predictive systems for years, much of the industry remains cautious about the current generative AI boom. Nick’s conversations at SMM underline the contradiction nicely: almost everyone thinks AI matters, but nobody wants to be the person predicting AI. That leads into a broader discussion about shipping’s increasingly connected data environment. As vessel, port, customs and operational systems exchange more information, the challenge is no longer simply collecting data. It is deciding which source deserves authority when those systems disagree.  This has one unexpected consequence of generative AI: the possible return of the spreadsheet. Tools that once required specialist software or analyst support can increasingly be built and interrogated quickly, although data governance and validation remain significant constraints. The episode closes with a reminder of the once-extraordinary luxuries that shipping now enables us to take for granted as everyday essentials. EPISODE PARTNER This episode of UnDocked is brought to you by GTT Marine. Every integration RFP in shipping asks for "a single source of truth". Almost no fleet actually wants one in practice. Why? Because, as one operator told the team at Thetius, the moment you force everything onto one platform you risk sacrificing best-in-class functionality.  The Great Integration, the new Thetius and GTT Marine report, makes the case for something more achievable — a consistent view across the systems your teams already trust. Recommended listening for anyone running an integration RFP.  Download it today.

  2. Sep 3

    Shipping’s Digital Ambition Is Outpacing Its IT Maturity, with Steven Hemmings

    Steve Hemmings joins Nick and Raal to examine why maritime IT maturity still lags other sectors, what shipping can learn from cruise and banking, and why cyber resilience, asset visibility, data architecture and change management matter. They also explore AI, legacy systems and the organisational foundations needed for meaningful digital transformation. CHAPTERS 00:27 Introducing Steve Hemmings02:05 Why maritime needs to take IT more seriously03:45 Insight’s evolution from hardware to transformation10:34 Lessons from banking and open standards18:38 What a mature maritime IT organisation looks like22:52 Building an accurate vessel IT asset inventory27:58 Turning maritime data into business value32:58 What cargo shipping can learn from cruise43:17 AI adoption and building a culture of innovation45:51 The human side of technology transformation50:40 Legacy platforms, AI and the future architecture The episode opens with a fundamental question: why does maritime still struggle to treat IT as a strategic capability rather than a support function? Steven Hemmings, Client CTO for Insight’s EMEA maritime team, explains how Insight moved from supplying technology into transformation and integration work, including its experience supporting the AROYA project with Columbia Group. The conversation then turns to what maritime can learn from other sectors. Drawing on his early career at the Bank of England, Steve argues that banking’s progress on standards depended as much on relationships, behaviour and sustained dialogue as it did on technology.  Cruise provides a useful reference point. Better onboard infrastructure, stronger connectivity and clear revenue incentives have pushed cruise operators towards more mature digital environments. Those foundations matter increasingly for cargo shipping too, particularly as IT and operational technology converge and cyber exposure grows. The discussion closes on two closely related challenges: AI and people. Legacy platforms may constrain what shipping companies can do next, but replacing everything at once is rarely realistic. Building around existing systems, creating stronger data foundations and introducing new capabilities incrementally may offer a more practical route.  EPISODE PARTNER This episode is partnered with Insight, in partnership with SmartSea. The most resilient fleets don't wait for a cyber incident to start thinking about security — they design it from day one. Under NIS2, maritime is classed as essential infrastructure, and IMO's cyber risk rules already require security to be built into a vessel's Safety Management System. Insight and SmartSea help operators meet both by embedding cyber resilience directly into everyday operational workflows — so compliance isn't a separate project, it's how the fleet already works. Because the strongest fleets are resilient by design, not by reaction. Future-proof your digital defences with Insight and SmartSea.

  3. Aug 27

    Who’s Liable When Ship Control Moves Ashore? Cyber Risk and Maritime Law

    This week, Nick and Raal examine what happens when maritime technology moves faster than the legal frameworks around it, from remote ship control and pollution liability to cyber risk and seaworthiness. CHAPTERS 00:23 Best-of-breed software and the importance of good data04:51 Maritime fragmentation, taxonomy and interoperability08:08 Why older ships can be easier to integrate10:26 Fleet interoperability and the economics of maritime SaaS14:27 Who pays when an autonomous tanker spills oil?21:42 Masters, fatigue and remote pilotage28:03 Search and rescue, COLREGs and autonomous ships31:15 Cyber risk, software updates and seaworthiness38:04 Anglo-Eastern’s approach to fleet-wide cyber security44:52 AI, cyber attacks and a changing threat landscape49:40 Wilson Sons’ long-term technology investment strategy55:53 SMM, the Digital Ship Summit and the Thetius Top 150 The episode opens with Nick reflecting on a webinar with GTT Marine and Dorian LPG examining one of shipping technology’s recurring questions: whether owners should consolidate around a single platform or assemble a best-of-breed technology stack.  That leads into the structural fragmentation of shipping itself. Different vessels, vendors, ranks, departments and even fleets can describe the same things differently, making interoperability as much an organisational problem as a technical one.  The main discussion turns to autonomous and remotely operated ships, prompted by the question of who would be liable for pollution when control no longer sits conventionally on board. From there, the legal questions multiply.  Who is the master when control is divided between people and autonomous systems? How do hours-of-rest rules apply to shore-based operators? Does a pilot still need to board? What happens to search-and-rescue obligations on an unmanned vessel? And which jurisdiction governs somebody controlling a ship from another country?  Cyber risk brings the same tension into seaworthiness. The discussion considers whether poor cyber risk management could ultimately call a vessel’s seaworthiness into question, and what happens when software updates can materially alter how a ship performs after it has sailed. Anglo-Eastern’s work with CyberOwl provides a more immediate operational example: rather than replacing the different systems across a large third-party-managed fleet, the aim is to create a consistent cyber-risk layer capable of working with the infrastructure already on board. EPISODE PARTNER This episode is sponsored by Insight, in partnership with SmartSea.  Every voyage means thousands of small decisions — on fuel burn, maintenance timing, emissions, and cost. Made well, they compound. Made blind, they compound too. Insight and SmartSea help operators bring route optimisation and predictive maintenance into everyday operations through one connected digital environment — turning sustainability and efficiency from a separate initiative into simply how the fleet performs, voyage after voyage. Because the best gains aren't the ones you chase once. They're the ones built into how you already operate. Take the next step with Insight.

  4. Aug 20

    Extreme Heat Hits Trade, Ships Generate Green Hydrogen, and AI Content Gets Watermarked

    Nick Chubb and Raal Harris examine how extreme heat is reshaping trade, from Rhine water levels and Panama Canal draught limits to pressure on energy systems. They also explore Drift Energy’s hydrogen-generating sailing vessels, Singapore’s Pier 71 startup programme, and the EU’s emerging rules on AI transparency and human oversight. CHAPTERS 04:18 Rhine water levels and inland shipping07:04 Panama Canal drought and draught restrictions10:17 Drift Energy and green hydrogen at sea18:39 Maritime innovation and the ocean economy23:18 Singapore’s Pier 71 startup programme30:52 The gap between research and commercialisation35:14 The EU AI Act and transparency requirements45:08 AI disclosure, watermarking and content quality51:59 Human oversight and the future of knowledge work The episode begins with extreme heat and an unlikely supply-chain indicator: Nick talks about its direct maritime consequences, with exceptionally low water levels at Kaub restricting cargo capacity on the Rhine and drought reducing permissible draughts through the Panama Canal. The conversation then moves from climate impacts to potential solutions. Raal introduces Drift Energy’s concept for sailing vessels that generate electricity at sea and convert it onboard into green hydrogen. The discussion broadens into tidal power, onboard carbon processing and the wider ocean economy, asking whether ships can become energy-producing assets rather than simply consumers of cleaner fuels. Attention then turns to Singapore’s Pier 71 programme and what its alumni suggest about the value of sustained, government-backed maritime innovation. Nick and Raal contrast that model with the persistent difficulty of moving promising technologies from research funding into viable commercial businesses, particularly in the UK and Europe. The episode closes with the EU’s developing approach to AI transparency. They examine watermarking, disclosure obligations, human oversight and the implications for companies using generative AI professionally. The central question is less whether AI was involved than whether the finished work is accurate, useful and properly scrutinised. EPISODE PARTNER This episode is sponsored by Insight, in partnership with SmartSea.  Getting new technology onto one ship is an achievement. Getting every ship the same benefit is where most digital transformation programs lose momentum. On the Aroya refit, Insight delivered the largest cruise IT transformation in EMEA — on schedule, in 11 months, across 33-plus workstreams — built on a single connected architecture designed to be repeated on the next vessel, not rebuilt from scratch. That's the model Insight and SmartSea bring to fleet-wide rollouts: pilot once, deploy consistently, and cut the time and cost of getting every vessel to the same standard. Because transformation only counts once it reaches the whole fleet. Start your digital transformation journey with Insight.

  5. Aug 13

    Why AI Could Make Markets More Volatile and Bridgetown’s $500k Port Transformation

    Nick and Raal examine what good maritime digital transformation looks like, from Bridgetown Port’s low-cost community system to shared vessel inspections and procurement pooling. They then explore AI’s tendency to flatten decisions, the value of proprietary data and primary research, and why real-world observation still matters in an automated industry. CHAPTERS 03:38 Bridgetown Port’s $500k digital transformation07:52 From 52 paper documents to a port community system10:05 RightShip, NorthStandard and inspecting once13:33 Can vessel inspections become a shared data standard?18:59 The case for asking for maritime data only once23:13 Oceanic Alliance and procurement pooling27:18 What happens when AI starts making the decisions?29:28 AI forecasting, broking and market feedback loops37:31 Finding an edge when everyone has the same data42:36 Marketing claims versus primary research44:26 Where to look for maritime technology’s real frontier47:29 Why asking customers to pay changes the feedback52:01 Shadow AI and the EU AI Act59:19 Why a subsea cable was rerouted for Dobby The episode opens with a new candidate for Undocked’s “Under the Radar” series: Bridgetown Port in Barbados, which has built its own cloud-based port community system. The numbers make the case unusually tangible: a reported $500,000 investment, 52 physical documents reduced to none. From there, Nick and Raal move onto a collaboration between RightShip and NorthStandard raises a deceptively simple proposition: inspect once, then make better use of trusted evidence.  The same logic appears in another form through Oceanic Alliance’s procurement pooling model. By aggregating purchasing demand across hundreds of vessels, smaller owners can potentially access some of the economies of scale traditionally associated with large third-party managers while retaining control of ship management. The conversation then turns to AI and a more uncomfortable problem: what happens when everyone feeds similar data into similar models? In broking, product design, hiring, marketing and investment research, AI can improve analysis while simultaneously pushing participants towards the same conclusions. Once those conclusions begin influencing the underlying market, better forecasting can create new feedback loops and potentially new blind spots. Finally there is the less predictable operational challenge of subsea infrastructure: a $600 million cable route reportedly altered to avoid the fictional grave of Dobby the House Elf. EPISODE PARTNER This episode is supported by Insight and SmartSea, powered by SITA. AI is reshaping maritime — but a model is only as good as the data and systems behind it. Too many AI initiatives stall because fleet data is fragmented and disconnected from day-to-day operations. Insight and SmartSea, powered by SITA, connect data, applications and onboard operations through one fleet architecture — so operators can identify opportunities, prove value, and scale what works, rather than running another isolated pilot. The outcome isn't "we tried AI." It's AI embedded in daily operations, driving measurable efficiency, resilience and business results. Turn AI ambition into measurable outcomes with Insight and SmartSea.

  6. Aug 6

    Are We Making Seafaring Harder Than It Needs to Be? With Steven Jones

    Steven Jones joins Nick Chubb and Raal Harris to examine what the latest Seafarers Happiness Index reveals about life at sea, crew relationships, shore-based wellbeing. Chapters 02:16 The origins of the Seafarers Happiness Index04:45 A decade of changing seafarer sentiment08:16 What the latest results reveal09:19 Technology overload and operational futility11:34 Control, agency, and wellbeing at sea14:08 Why younger seafarers have more choices16:30 The erosion of shore leave18:45 Making technology work with seafarers22:12 Balancing traditional and digital skills24:58 Understanding the futility trap26:39 Wellbeing among shore-based teams28:43 Compliance theatre and disconnected policies31:47 Putting seafarers inside decarbonisation decisions34:05 Training, competence, and personal investment39:48 Trip length and emotional adjustment41:46 Why crew relationships still matter45:14 Food quality, weather, and life onboard48:50 Why captains report lower happiness50:16 Measuring welfare across the industry54:01 The Seafarers Pledge The episode opens with Steven Jones explaining how the Seafarers Happiness Index grew from a simple attempt to hear directly from crews into one of the industry’s most closely watched measures of life at sea. More than a decade of responses now provides a view across connectivity, shore leave, wages, food, workload, welfare, health and relationships onboard. The latest results point to something deeper than routine quarterly movement. Steven describes a growing sense of futility as seafarers face geopolitical instability, expanding compliance demands and technology that is frequently added without removing existing work. The discussion examines the operational gap between systems sold ashore and the reality of implementing them onboard. Nick, Raal and Steven also consider the loss of agency at sea, the decline of meaningful shore leave and the changing expectations of younger seafarers with credible career alternatives ashore. The conversation closes on the areas where progress remains possible. Strong relationships between shipmates continue to underpin wellbeing, while better food, protected downtime and genuine consultation can make an immediate difference.  BE PART OF THE SURVEY Contribute to the Seafarers Happiness Index Take part in the Shore-Based Happiness Index EPISODE PARTNER This episode is sponsored by GTT Marine. By 2027, EU ETS will cover 100% of reported emissions.  FuelEU Maritime will be in full force. And CII corrective action plans will be a regular part of the conversation. The operators best positioned for that moment aren't necessarily the ones buying new systems right now.  They're the ones using 2026 to connect what they already have. The Great Integration, the new report from GTT Marine and Thetius, is a practical blueprint for getting decision-ready before the deadlines stack up.  Download it now.

  7. Jul 30

    The Trust Problem Behind Digital Training Records and Maritime’s Third Mobile Ecosystem

    Mintra’s integration with Norway’s competence registry opens a wider discussion about digital training records, trust and interoperability in maritime. Nick and Raal revisit failed technology forecasts, consider AI’s long-term impact on work, and examine how Huawei’s HarmonyOS could create a third mobile ecosystem for maritime software providers worldwide and ashore. CHAPTERS 00:36 Mintra connects 2.8 million training records04:09 National competence registries and maritime careers07:15 Who controls seafarer training data?12:32 Creating an international trust layer15:43 The career risk of lost paper certificates18:24 Discharge books and multi-flag complexity20:50 Mintra, Safebridge and digital credentials21:56 Maritime technology predictions that failed27:10 Weak signals and the next decade of shipping31:21 AI, productivity and changing maritime jobs37:44 Why maritime adopted native mobile apps40:40 Huawei, HarmonyOS and a third ecosystem45:58 Export controls and unintended consequences50:00 Domestic systems meet international shipping The episode begins with Mintra’s decision to connect 2.8 million training records to Norway’s national competence registry. The initiative raises a broader question for shipping: whether digital records can move securely between employers, industries and jurisdictions without replacing fragmented paper bureaucracy with equally fragmented digital systems. Nick and Raal examine the distinction between certified qualifications and the wider training data held inside company learning systems. They discuss ownership, consent and the practical value of allowing records to follow an employee throughout a career. In a global industry without a single governing authority, the more difficult challenge is establishing trust between flags, training providers, employers and technology platforms. The discussion then turns to maritime technology forecasting, before closing with Huawei’s HarmonyOS. Maritime software has largely been designed around two mobile ecosystems, Android and iOS. A credible third platform—particularly one supported by China’s large seafaring, shipbuilding and industrial base—could create substantial development and security choices for vendors relying on native apps and seafarers’ personal devices. EPISODE PARTNER This episode of UnDocked is brought to you by KVH. Connectivity is critical, but it’s what sits behind it that makes the difference. KVH goes beyond bandwidth, offering managed IT services, cybersecurity, and compliance support designed specifically for maritime operations. Combined with LEO connectivity and intelligent network management, this creates a complete communications ecosystem for your fleet. Secure, scalable, and built to adapt as your needs evolve. So whether you're upgrading your network or rethinking your entire communications strategy, KVH provides the foundation to do it right. Discover more at kvh.com

  8. Jul 23

    The Battle for Shipbuilding Capacity and Private Equity Targets Vessel Operations

    Nick and Raal explore shipbuilding’s geopolitical revival, friendshoring, autonomous vessel insurance, and the risks of an overheated global orderbook cycle ahead for shipping. They also examine how seafarers are already using AI beyond formal governance, why MF Shipping’s people-first digital strategy stands out, and what maritime technology consolidation means for operators. CHAPTERS 00:44 The human element of maritime AI 04:03 Treating AI like a new employee 06:33 Seafarers, shadow AI and governance 13:55 MF Shipping’s people-first digital strategy 17:43 Transparent KPIs and operational priorities 27:50 Why most AI projects show no measurable return 32:39 Agentic AI at the Digital Ship Summit 35:17 A decade of maritime technology consolidation 40:19 Insurance pathways for autonomous vessels 46:45 A seven-billion-dollar week in shipbuilding 50:06 China’s dominance of the global orderbook 53:16 National shipbuilding strategies and friendshoring 55:39 AI-enabled shipyards and software-driven vessels 57:38 The risk of renewed vessel oversupply The episode opens with Raal’s reflections from a maritime roundtable on AI and the human element. Seafarers are already using consumer AI tools for spreadsheets, emails, administrative work and personal support, often beyond the visibility of company policies.  MF Shipping offers a more deliberate model. After surveying around 900 seafarers, the company is shaping its digital strategy around simpler workflows, reduced administrative burden and better operational decisions. Its public KPIs also challenge the industry to measure digital success by its effect on people, rather than the number of systems deployed. Nick and Raal then examine the accelerating consolidation of maritime technology, including private equity interest in vessel operations, autonomy, cybersecurity and safety. Broader platforms may simplify fragmented technology stacks, but they also raise questions about integration, competition and control of maritime data. The episode closes with shipbuilding’s return as a geopolitical concern. New investments in India, Bangladesh and the United States sit against China’s dominant share of global orders. Governments are responding with industrial policy, allied shipbuilding partnerships and friendshoring, while Korean and Chinese yards develop AI-enabled design and production systems. The strategic race is intensifying just as the global orderbook approaches another potential cycle of oversupply. EPISODE PARTNER This episode of UnDocked is brought to you by Insight Enterprises. Every vessel runs its own mix of devices, software and support arrangements. Without a common view across the fleet, a small IT issue on one ship can turn into a major operational problem across all of them. When the cruise ship Aroya was in refit, Insight tracked and deployed over 650 devices and 2,000 Wi-Fi access points on a single vessel — a day-in-the-life view of what's possible when every device on board sits on one architecture. Insight's Ship-to-Shore IT Asset Management brings that same standardised architecture to your whole fleet, so shore teams get real visibility, digital assets are managed consistently, and vessels stay connected to shore instead of running blind. Because better visibility leads to better decisions, made sooner. Simplify your fleet IT with Insight and SmartSea.

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Undocked is a weekly podcast where Nick Chubb and Raal Harris explore what’s changing in maritime and technology. Through candid conversations and guest interviews, the show unpacks emerging trends, overlooked stories, and strategic insights, offering a fresh, unfiltered perspective on the evolving future of one of the world’s oldest industries.

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