What happens when shipping has more data, but still cannot trust what it is seeing?

Tim Janssen, CEO and Co-Founder of Sofar Ocean, argues that voyage optimisation starts with better data and less uncertainty. That principle is evident in SEKAVIN’s system upgrades, Stolt Tankers’ digital procurement, AI-driven pollution reduction, X-Press Feeders’ emissions tracking and nearly 2MWh of new battery capacity from AYK Energy and Gebhard Electro.

The question for shipowners and managers is becoming less about whether to digitalise, and more about whether their data and systems are good enough to make better decisions.

The maritime industry has invested heavily in voyage optimisation, but Tim Janssen, CEO and Co-Founder of Sofar Ocean, argues that shipping is looking at the problem from the wrong end.

“The challenge of optimisation is not optimisation,” he says. “The challenge is the uncertainty of the inputs.”

Weather, vessel performance and market conditions all shape voyage decisions, yet the information behind them can be incomplete. Weather presents a particular problem at sea, where observation networks are far less dense than those available on land. “We have a little bit of satellite information, a few buoys here and there, and that is massively constraining the accuracy of forecasts,” Janssen says.

That uncertainty has operational consequences. An inaccurate forecast can lead operators to add buffers, take more conservative routes or burn additional fuel to protect arrival times.

“Either you include a large buffer… or you improve your weather understanding so that your arrival time estimate can be more accurate,” Janssen says.

Sofar Ocean combines ocean observations, marine weather forecasting, vessel-specific digital twins and its Wayfinder voyage optimisation platform to help operators make those decisions using a broader set of information.

But the issue goes beyond weather data. Shipping companies generate huge amounts of operational information, yet much of it remains fragmented across systems. “We’re getting a ton of data… what do we do with it?” Janssen asks.

The answer, he argues, is to connect data with decision-making. “It is all about taking information, building models on top of it, and delivering it in a way that it makes it easy to make decisions.”

Optimisation can only be as good as the information behind the decision.

influences future procurement, integration, data flows and the technologies an organisation can adopt in the years ahead.

As AI and connected operations gather pace, those decisions are becoming more important than ever. 

Join Casper Jensen, CEO of GTT Marine, and Peter Hadjipateras, Chief Information, Security and Sustainability Officer at Dorian LPG, for a live discussion exploring how maritime organisations can build digital environments that remain connected, flexible and ready for the future.

>> Register Now <<

Can shipowners improve operational control by fixing the systems behind the business? SEKAVIN is replacing legacy ERP systems with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and building a Salesforce CRM environment while strengthening cybersecurity controls and reporting zero cyber incidents in 2025.

How much procurement activity can ship managers automate across a global fleet? Stolt Tankers has moved around 100 deep-sea vessels onto Procureship, bringing tenders, contracts and purchasing into one digital platform while automating routine buying processes.

Can shipowners reduce pollution around ports without simply slowing vessels down? Researchers at Pusan National University have developed an AI navigation framework using real-time weather data to optimise routes and speed profiles, with tests showing 34% to 78% lower peak pollutant exposure.

Can digital fleet data help shipowners manage the transition to alternative fuels? X-Press Feeders reported a 36% improvement in energy efficiency against its 2021 baseline, while 12 methanol-capable vessels were operational by the end of 2025 and its emissions platform collects vessel data every 10 minutes to support emissions reporting and fleet performance management.

Where does battery propulsion make the strongest commercial case for shipowners? AYK Energy and Gebhard Electro are adding almost 2MWh of battery capacity across a new dredger and the electrification of a Rotterdam patrol vessel, showing how newbuild and retrofit projects can take different routes to lower-emission operations.

» Register Now «

» Register Now «

» Secure your Delegate Pass «

» Register your Interest «

Stena Bulk and OrbitMI explore how trusted data and AI can improve voyage optimisation, vessel performance and everyday decision-making.