The call for mandatory advanced situational awareness tech is gaining traction—and with good reason. The MAIB’s 2024 report didn’t mince words: human watchkeepers, left to monitor alone, are a liability in the digital age. The Solong-Stena Immaculate collision in the North Sea proved the point. A lack of real-time situational awareness turned a near-miss into a fatality and a major fire. The crew fought hard to save the ship and their colleagues, but the lack of real-time situational awareness technology meant they were fighting blind.
Zelim’s ZOE system is one of the solutions stepping into the breach. It combines AI-powered cameras with real-time alerting, giving crews the tools to act faster and prevent incidents from spiralling. Beyond collision avoidance, these systems provide critical forensic data for investigations and compliance. And crucially, they reduce reliance on human vigilance alone—freeing crews to focus on where their judgment and experience matter most.
India has already taken the lead, mandating CCTV systems with AI-based monitoring on domestic vessels. The regulation isn’t just about surveillance; it’s about proactive detection, tracking, and alerting. It’s a model that could—and should—be replicated globally.
The question now is whether other regulators will follow India’s lead. Voluntary measures aren’t cutting it. The Solong-Stena Immaculate incident was a wake-up call. The technology exists. The framework is in place. The time for action is now. Smarter ships mean safer seas—and that’s a goal worth fighting for.