Prof. Frank Smeele and Dr Frank Stevens, researchers at Erasmus School of Law, have written the (Dutch language) research report “Smart Shipping”, which was presented to the Dutch Parliament on 3 March 2020 by Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management.
The Ministry is aware of the technological developments in shipping. One of those developments is the rise of Smart Shipping. Smarter information sharing and tools for ship control are central to this development, as well as the possibility of unmanned vessels. The report analyzes the possibility of experimenting with highly automated seagoing and inland vessels within the existing regulations. It identifies bottlenecks and imperfections, and also contains recommendations for remedying them.