The Smart Maritime Council is a collaborative space for industry stakeholders to share knowledge, agree on standards, and work together on initiatives that accelerate digital transformation.
Ardmore Shipping and OrbitMI, a leading provider of maritime SaaS software, have joined the Smart Maritime Council, highlighting their commitment to innovation, data-driven decision-making, and sustainable operations, as well as advancing digital transformation and standardization.
Ardmore Shipping aims to leverage its experience to benefit the Council. Garry Noonan, Director of Innovation at Ardmore Shipping, said their deployment of AI-powered tools for voyage and vessel performance optimization has already delivered significant commercial and environmental results. “We are also looking beyond the adoption of standalone systems to instead explore how a suite of digital tools can be integrated across ship and shore to unlock end-to-end performance improvements.”
Noonan added that they see operational data standardization as a key enabler of future technologies. “Actively participating on the council will enable us to assist in the guidance of the standards and provide visibility of the evolving digital offerings within the industry. By joining Smart Maritime Council, Ardmore aims to contribute its practical experience and forward-looking mindset to industry-wide discussions around technology integration and standardization.”
Noonan said they look forward to contributing Ardmore’s perspective for the shared benefit of all members. “Digitalization and decarbonization go hand in hand, and by working together through the Council, we can drive performance and progress on both fronts in ways that benefit the entire shipping industry.”
Maritime Digitalization
OrbitMI recognizes that the full potential of maritime digitalization requires more than individual innovation. It stated that true transformation depends on collaboration among owners, operators, software vendors, OEMs, and industry bodies to establish shared technology standards, improve interoperability, and promote effective data exchange. Through its participation in the Smart Maritime Council, OrbitMI will work with other industry leaders to shape frameworks and best practices that support the development of connected workflows and enable data-driven decision-making across the maritime ecosystem.
Ali Riaz, CEO of OrbitMI, said joining the Smart Maritime Council is an important step in the company’s mission to make shipping more intelligent, collaborative, and sustainable. “One of our missions at OrbitMI is to break down the silos in maritime data. Our platform connects the dots, so decisions aren’t made in the dark. If you want to automate compliance and optimize fuel use, the technology can’t live in separate boxes,” he explained. “You need workflows that talk to each other. That means every system – weather, noon reporting, charter party, performance analytics – must connect.” Riaz said it’s not just for the sake of integration, but to give customers one version of the truth and deliver real results.
The Smart Maritime Network, which was established in 2019, provides a platform to promote the benefits of improved integration, standardization, and data sharing across the maritime and transport logistics sectors. An invitation-only member group, the Smart Maritime Council is a collaborative space for industry stakeholders to share knowledge, agree on standards, and work together on initiatives that accelerate digital transformation. It offers a structured environment for OrbitMI to collaborate with peers, drive the adoption of standards, and help solve the operational and environmental challenges facing the shipping industry.
