Leading classification society ClassNK announced that it has established Ship Data Center Co., Ltd. in Tokyo, Japan on 7 December 2015. This is a wholly owned subsidiary that aims to support the utilization of data gathered from ship operations. The Data Center will be headed by ClassNK Executive Vice President Yasushi Nakamura. The latest technology developments enable to collect large volumes of data on a diverse range of items related to ship operations. However, the approach to data capture is still very fragmented with similar data being sent to several vendors and analysis is still being carried out almost entirely on a ship-by-ship basis.
To make larger gains, an effective platform capable of centralizing and managing such diverse data is essential. However, creating and maintaining this kind of platform is costly, time-consuming and unrealistic for some organizations. Security is another aspect to be considered. As an independent, non-profit organization with over a century of experience in ship classification, ClassNK drew on its extensive technical knowledge and expertise to develop Ship Data Center Co., Ltd. The Data Center consists of a secured shipping operations database which will serve as an information hub to independently manage the utilization of big data in the maritime industry. Trials of the Data Center will commence on a container vessel in February 2016 in cooperation with a Japanese shipping company. Full operation of the Data Center is scheduled from April 2016.
Opportunities for future application of the Data Center are infinite. The Data Center could be used to help the industry overcome current and emerging challenges. The Data Center plans to offer these ship-owners and operators a secure and neutral database in which to store and manage these vast amounts of fuel consumption data.
Source: ClassNk
