The maritime industry is hurtling toward a future shaped by autonomy, AI, and digitalisation, but a critical question lingers: how does this technological whirlwind impact the people who keep ships running? The Nautical Institute and Lloyd’s Register Foundation are tackling that question head-on with the Seafarer Technology Engagement, Empowerment, and Resilience (STEER) project. This isn’t just another tech study—it’s a global call to arms, rallying seafarers, shipowners, manufacturers, regulators, and trainers to share real-world insights on how rapid innovation affects safety, skills, and welfare at sea.
The STEER project is about listening to the frontline. While individual technologies undergo rigorous testing, their collective impact on seafarers’ operational effectiveness, mental and physical health remains largely uncharted. This project aims to change that. By harnessing The Nautical Institute’s extensive international network, the initiative will gather feedback from across the maritime spectrum to create a practical toolbox. The goal? To ensure new technologies strengthen, rather than undermine, human competence, knowledge, and expertise.
Captain David Patraiko, Director of Projects at The Nautical Institute, puts it bluntly: “Seafarers are at the heart of shipping, yet their lived experience is often overlooked due to commercial pressures and the rush to innovate.” The STEER Project is about giving them a voice. It’s about developing tools that make technology work for people, not the other way around.
This isn’t just about safety—it’s about equitable transition. Tim Slingsby, Director of Skills and Education at Lloyd’s Register Foundation, highlights the need for maritime education and training to evolve quickly. The challenge? Ensuring that seafarers in both wealthy and poorer regions aren’t left behind. The STEER Project aims to bridge that gap, ensuring the workforce has the capacity, capability, and understanding to adopt new technologies safely.
By 2028, the project aims to create the right tools for innovation and seamanship to thrive in a technologically advanced but human-centred maritime industry. The Nautical Institute’s global reach and Lloyd’s Register Foundation’s expertise will ensure the findings reach decision-makers at every level.
This initiative is a wake-up call to the industry. It’s a reminder that technology should serve people, not replace them. It’s a call to action for seafarers to share their experiences, for shipowners to listen, and for manufacturers to design with the human factor in mind. The future of shipping is already here, but the real test is whether it’s a future where people thrive alongside technology. The STEER Project is stepping up to make sure it is.