e-navigation is a new strategy of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that may have impact on your work environment.

It is defined as: ... the harmonised collection, integration, exchange, presentation and analysis of maritime information onboard and ashore by electronic means to enhance berth to berth navigation and related services, for safety and security at sea and protection of the marine environment.

The vision of e-navigation is embedded in the following general expectations:

On board Navigation systems that benefit from the integration of own ship sensors, supporting information, a standard user interface, and a comprehensive system for managing guard zones and alerts.

Ashore The management of vessel traffic and related services from ashore enhanced through better provision, coordination, and exchange of comprehensive data in formats that will be more easily understood and utilized.

Communications An infrastructure providing authorized seamless information transfer on board ship, between ships, between ship and shore and between shore authorities.

e-navigation is supposed to be user-driven, not technology-driven. The first step of the e-navigation strategy is the determination of user needs. Therefore, this is a survey to collect e-navigation user needs worldwide.

The German FGAN-Research Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics, which does research in the maritime sector since 15 years, is conducting this survey for the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs, in co-operation with the Canadian Coast Guard.

The results will be presented to IMO this summer as a joined paper by several member states.


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