In this episode, Raal Harris and Nick Chubb look back on the dramatic turn of the last two week’s events and ask what rupture in the global rules based order could mean for shipping. They discuss how geopolitical volatility and tariffs are reshaping trade routes and operational risk, why global shipping has become harder to plan and manage. They discuss the need for energy security and the potential role of nuclear power with LR’s announcement of their UK Nuclear Consortium and how a move to nuclear propulsion could transform shipping. They also spotlight the announcement of the biggest ever battery powered vessel set to go into service and the wider impact battery powered ships could make in world trade.

The conversation then turns to Lomar shipping’s strategic pilot with AI start up Signal Fusion designed to aid predictive behavioural intelligence in maritime operations. They discuss how this could be an enabler for a human factors approach and whether AI could play a role in safety and decision-making, and why engaging crews is critical to safer operations.

Chapters

01:39 Global Shipping Landscape and Geopolitical Volatility

09:44 Impact of Tariffs and Uncertainty on Shipping

14:25 The Future of NATO and Global Trade

17:27 Energy Security and Nuclear Shipping Innovations

25:29 Battery-Powered Ships and Their Potential

28:21 Decarbonisation in Australia: A Pioneer Approach

31:49 Navigating Risks in Battery Technology

34:28 Human Factors in Maritime Operations

40:22 AI and Human Performance in Shipping

53:43 Engagement and Feedback in Maritime Safety

Tabitha Logan shares her journey from lawyer to becoming a leading voice in the maritime industry, as Project Director for ship owner-operator Cetus Maritime and as co-founder of The Captain’s Table the global pitch competition and venture platform for maritime startups. Tabitha shares her perspective on the challenges and opportunities in global shipping, the importance of mergers and acquisitions to build scale and capacity, the significance of digital transformation, and the role of branding in successful mergers. Tabitha also shares her passion for supporting startups, gives tips on what investors are looking for and emphasises the need for innovation and sustainability in the maritime sector. Finally she shares her advice to those aspiring to a fulfilling career in the industry.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Tabitha Logan and Her Journey

04:39 Cetus Maritime: Mergers and Acquisitions Overview

18:02 The Importance of Digital Integration in M&A

30:47 Navigating Diverse Roles in Maritime Operations

36:02 Bridging Silos: The Importance of Collaboration

39:08 Sustainability in Shipping: A Progressive Outlook

41:06 The Captain's Table: Fostering Innovation in Maritime

48:08 Identifying Winning Solutions: Trends and Insights

53:05 Balancing Innovation and Operations in Shipping

This video was brought to you by Fortec UK. Fortec’s marine-grade panel mount displays deliver stable power handling, IEC 60945 compliance, and proven reliability, supporting safe, efficient operations across newbuild and retrofit vessel environments.Visit the full product range at Fortec.uk.

Raal and Nick discuss New Year reflections, M&A activity and V Group's acquisition of Nord. They delve into the importance of decarbonisation and fuel efficiency, the role of ship managers, and innovations in ship management services. The conversation also touches on behavioral changes for fuel efficiency, the challenges posed by the dark fleet, and the IMO's digitalisation strategy.

Chapters

04:05 M&A Activity in the Shipping Industry

04:56 V Group's Acquisition of Njord

11:03 The Role of Ship Managers in Decarbonisation

15:40 Innovative Solutions for Fuel Efficiency

22:25 The Importance of Data in Shipping

33:00 The Evolving Role of Class Societies and Ship Managers

33:19 Navigating Conflicts in Maritime Technology

40:09 Understanding the Dark Fleet and Sanctions

47:57 Emerging Solutions: Maritime Transparency Index

50:52 IMO's Digitalisation Strategy: A New Era

This video was brought to you by Accelleron. Accurate reporting, less stress, and more time to focus on what really matters: operating ships. Find out more at https://accelleron.com/

Nick and Raal close out the year with the inaugural Shippee Awards, reflecting on the stories, themes, controversies, and personalities that defined maritime in 2025. From decarbonisation debates and regulatory tension to standout entrepreneurship and shifting narratives, they look back on the year that was and ahead to a slightly unsettling 2026.

Chapters

05:50 Ship Owner of the Year

11:53 Technology Entrepreneur of the Year

17:44 Maritime Journalist of the Year

30:09 Mergers & Acquisition Deal of the Year

46:34 Decarbonisation Champion

57:15 Transformation of the Year

01:10:30 Gaffes of the Year: Industry Reflections

01:18:19 Wild Predictions for 2026

Nick and Raal explore recent acquisitions, the unique characteristics of the Greek shipping market, the impact of AI on recruitment processes, and innovations in maritime technology such as tethered drones and remote inspections. They also touch on Ocean Infinity's advancements in robotic fleets, highlighting the evolving landscape of maritime operations.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Overview of the Podcast

01:25 Recent Developments in Maritime E-Learning

07:59 Understanding the Greek Maritime Market

12:42 AI in Recruitment: A Surprising Study

23:23 Innovative Uses of Tethered Drones

28:02 Rethinking Maritime Inspections with Technology

33:24 The Rise of Robotic Ships in Offshore Services

This episode is brought to you by KVH. Delivering resilient connectivity, data, and insights to keep maritime operations connected, informed, and moving, wherever you are. Learn more at kvh.com.

Raal and Nick start with Undocked’s Spotify Wrapped before dissecting CargoWise’s new pricing, accidental vendor lock-in, and procurement’s ESG role. They explore wind-assisted propulsion, industry guidance and financing, shifting decarbonisation politics, and why ports and owners still invest. Columbia Blue’s eco-anxiety work highlights seafarer wellbeing as the energy transition accelerates.

• 00:00 Introduction and Spotify Wrapped Success
• 03:59 Pricing Models in Maritime Technology
• 17:00 Vendor Lock-In and Long-Term Resilience
• 24:57 The Role of IT in Maritime Transformation
• 26:35 Procurement Software and ESG Reporting
• 35:35 Understanding Emissions Calculations in Shipping
• 37:03 The Complexity of Procurement in Shipping
• 38:49 Innovations in Delivery: Drones and Logistics
• 40:44 The Future of 3D Printing in Shipping41:30 ESG and Its Impact on Shipping Practices
• 43:43 The Cooling Interest in ESG Investments
• 45:15 Port Initiatives for Decarbonization
• 46:45 The Role of Technology in Shipping Efficiency
• 51:06 Wind-Assisted Propulsion: A New Era in Shipping
• 59:13 Industry Initiatives for Wind Propulsion Adoption
• 01:01:55 Eco-Anxiety Among Seafarers and Its Implications

Episode Partner

This episode is brought to you by Accelleron. Running ships is complex enough, managing emissions compliance shouldn’t make it harder. Loreka 360 Emissions Desk handles data checks, documentation, forecasting, and verification, powered by intelligent software and guided by experts who’ve worked at sea. Learn more at accelleron.com/emissions-desk.

Nick and Raal explore the widening gap between AI promise and AI governance, from AGI hype cycles to environmental costs, burnout culture, vibe coding, and Generative UI. They map out the risks for high-compliance maritime operations, unpack shifting IT budgets, and end by celebrating 50 years of dynamic positioning.

• 00:00 Introduction and early conversations

• 02:07 AI in maritime: key insights from the webinar

• 04:52 Why problem-first thinking matters

• 06:39 The role of champions in tech adoption

• 08:35 Navigating hype vs. reality in AI

• 10:36 Cynicism in maritime technology buying

• 12:18 AI’s economic impact and governance concerns

• 13:47 AI meets compliance: risks for shipping

• 15:25 Burnout, ethics, and the human cost of AI

• 16:41 Understanding AGI and its implications

• 19:46 The US–China race for AI dominance

• 21:34 Environmental concerns of AI infrastructure

• 23:45 The regulatory vacuum around AI

• 25:52 The age of, and pressure on AI developers

• 27:56 Polarised visions of AI’s future

• 27:57 The need for global AI governance

• 28:50 Generative UI: a new frontier

• 31:38 What AI means for maritime tech’s future

• 37:07 Real-time voice generation and personalised learning

• 39:54 The evolution of maritime software

• 42:25 Customisation vs. standardisation

• 44:17 The risks of software updates in high-risk operations

• 45:11 Vibe coding: democratised development

• 49:42 Quality and governance in AI-generated code

• 54:21 Maritime IT budgets: trends and insights

• 01:04:02 Celebrating 50 years of dynamic positioning

Links:

• ‘It’s going much too fast’: the inside story of the race to create the ultimate AI - The Guardian
• Thetius IT Cost and Performance Benchmarking Club (paywall)
• How Dynamic Positioning changed offshore operations forever - Kongsberg

This episode is brought to you by Sedna, the intelligent email platform built for the shipping industry. Sedna turns high-volume communication into structured, auditable workflows that improve efficiency, compliance, and collaboration across fleets and offices.
Learn more at sedna.com

In this episode, Nick Chubb and Raal Harris dig into the growing complexity of reporting, data standards, and tech overload across the maritime industry. They open with OrbitMI’s new vessel reporting and analysis tool, designed to show shipowners how well their data aligns with industry standards, and why fragmented reporting regimes continue to frustrate crews and operators alike. Nick outlines how standardisation-by-nudging may work better than forcing a single format, especially when many operators still juggle five or six noon-report variations at once.

The discussion then broadens into digital stress, fragmented workflows, and tech fatigue. Drawing from ISWAN and broader workplace studies, Raal highlights how over-digitisation, poor UX, and under-supported rollouts are increasing workload, reducing wellbeing, and even pushing some seafarers to consider leaving the profession. Nick argues that many of these issues could be avoided if IT leaders spent more time observing how systems are actually used on board, especially by engineers carrying the heaviest reporting burden.

They also explore whether seafarers should understand more of the underlying data and system logic behind modern tools, much like navigators once have to deeply understand GPS after early incidents involving false positions.

The pair discuss the limits of innovation capacity, the risks of too-frequent standard updates, and why eight different software systems on a ship, each with different menus and interfaces, inevitably overwhelm crews.

From there, Nick brings two standout stories:

Steelcorr's AI-powered paint maintenance app, now rolling out with Ardmore, which uses smartphone photos to detect rust, predict biofouling, and optimise paint consumption, potentially saving money, time, and workload on one of the most labour-intensive deck tasks.

Olympic Subsea’s extraordinary 83% emissions reduction, achieved by combining batteries with advanced digital tools to run far fewer generators during dynamic positioning. While limited to offshore vessels, the result hints at what’s possible when digital optimisation, electrification, and real-time power management converge.

Episode Partner

This episode is brought to you by Sedna, the intelligent email platform built for the shipping industry. Sedna turns high-volume communication into structured, auditable workflows that improve efficiency, compliance, and collaboration across fleets and offices. Learn more at sedna.com.