On September 4, the first batch of national institutional documents for smart ship crew management, jointly compiled by the Shandong MSA and Qingdao Ocean Shipping Mariners College, passed expert review in Qingdao. These documents, namely the Training Syllabus for Smart Ship Crew and Remote Operators and the Watchkeeping Guidelines for Smart Ship Crew and Remote Operators, mark a significant milestone in institutionalizing the cultivation and management of China's smart shipping talent.
During the review observation phase, attending experts visited Smart Navigation (Qingdao) Technology Co., Ltd., where they observed the autonomous navigation demonstration of the "ZHIFEI," China's first commercially operational intelligent container ship, at its shore-based remote control center. Equipped with a domestically developed core intelligent navigation system, the vessel supports three operation modes: manual control, remote control, and fully autonomous navigation. In February of this year, the ship completed the first-ever collaborative operation between an intelligent vessel and a smart port. Since its delivery in April 2022, "ZHIFEI" has safely completed 1,300 voyages, covering a total distance exceeding 50,000 nautical miles, with its accumulated navigational data and operational coordination experience serving as valuable practical references for the development of the training syllabus.
During the review and discussion phase, over 40 experts and scholars from shipping companies, maritime academies, and directly affiliated MSAs conducted a focused assessment on the scientific rigor and standardization of the documents. The experts unanimously agreed that the training syllabus clearly defines the competency standards for smart ship crew and remote operators, expanding training content from traditional maritime skills to new areas such as intelligent navigation system operations, data analysis, and auxiliary decision-making. The watchkeeping guidelines provide clear performance standards for ship-shore joint operations. The documents preliminarily establish a comprehensive institutional framework for the training, certification, and performance of crew on current mainstream smart vessels, achieving a groundbreaking advancement from non-existence to implementation.
"The large-scale deployment of intelligent vessels compels us to redefine what it means to be a crew member. The future seafarer will be both a navigator and an operator and manager of intelligent systems," noted an expert from Qingdao Ocean Shipping Mariners College. The successful drafting and review of these documents in Shandong stem from the province's extensive experience in the smart shipping sector. Shandong is home to the world's first integrated experimental base, combining unmanned intelligent vessels, a remote operations control center, and a smart vessel testing ground. Additionally, Shandong has introduced the nation's first set of policies to promote the smart shipping industry, with a preliminary three-tier policy support system at the national, provincial, and municipal levels now in place.
In March of this year, the Ministry of Transport and three other ministries jointly issued the "Smart Shipping 2030 Action Plan," which sets targets to establish more than three comprehensive smart shipping pilot zones and operate over 100 intelligent vessels by 2027. In May, the International Maritime Organization formally adopted the "Safety of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships" code, effective from July 1. The IMO has also confirmed plans to issue a mandatory MASS code by July 1, 2030. The early release of these training and watchkeeping guidelines signifies a critical step forward for China in this domain. A representative from the Maritime Safety Administration of the Ministry of Transport stated that the next steps will involve systematic planning to advance the development of a comprehensive institutional framework for smart ship crew and remote operators, contributing practical outcomes to the global effort in building smart shipping regulations.