- Pooling data and coordinated risk assessments help the maritime industry navigate geopolitical volatility.
- Insurers, shipowners, and regulators can build safer seas and fairer pricing through structured intelligence-sharing.
- Robust frameworks, secure systems, and aligned incentives are key to making joint intelligence-sharing effective.
Speaking at LISW25, Thomas Nordberg, Managing Director of The Swedish Club, emphasized that pooling intelligence does not weaken competition but instead sharpens collective resilience. He highlighted that the shipping industry must unite in order to withstand today’s volatile global landscape, where geopolitical shifts can disrupt trade overnight. By working together and sharing data, Nordberg argued, the sector can become a stronger, more influential force.
Marine insurers at the crossroads of trade and risk
“Marine insurers sit at the intersection of trade, geopolitics, and risk,” Nordberg said. In an environment shaped by sanctions, cyber threats, and conflict zones, no single actor has enough intelligence to navigate safely. He stressed that the future lies in joint intelligence — insurers, shipowners, and regulators not only pooling information but also conducting coordinated assessments to capture the complete geopolitical picture.
Benefits of a unified approach
According to Nordberg, collaboration through shared data and joint risk analyses can deliver wide-reaching benefits: safer seas, smarter risk pricing, and improved industry stability. Competitive concerns can be addressed through structured governance, contractual safeguards, and selective transparency. This approach ensures risks remain manageable while unlocking immense value for the entire market.
Proactive risk management
By exchanging information on piracy corridors, sanction regimes, and stressed checkpoints, shipowners can plan routes with foresight, reducing the chances of unexpected disruptions. When shocks do occur, coordinated intelligence allows the industry to respond in a more unified and effective manner.
Four enablers of safe and effective intelligence-sharing
Nordberg underlined four conditions essential to success:
- Governance frameworks to structure operational and geopolitical data collection, managed by trusted industry bodies.
- Contracts and legal clarity to define how intelligence is shared, validated, and acted upon, while safeguarding sensitive information.
- Technical controls to ensure secure, interoperable systems that protect raw data while enabling shared assessments.
- Aligned incentives so that insurers reward clients for participating and regulators view collaborative risk assessments as a compliance strength.
He added that these could be realized through jointly owned intelligence platforms or industry-wide working groups, provided efforts remain consistent, coordinated, and credible.
A united response to complex threats
The key takeaway is that no single stakeholder can manage the wide array of challenges — including sanctions, piracy, cyber-attacks, conflicts, and climate pressures — alone. Nordberg concluded: “In a world of sanctions, cyber threats, and shifting trade routes, only a collective effort can provide resilience. Joint intelligence is not just a commercial advantage, it is a strategic safeguard for global trade and society as a whole.”
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Source: American Journal of Transportation
