Norway's SEAMLESS Project Advances Autonomous Ship Regulation

Moving the Bridge Ashore

Norwegian research is helping shape the emerging regulatory framework for autonomous and remotely operated vessels, according to a report by Gemini News published on Maritime Executive and covered separately by Smart Maritime Network. The story centers on work led by SINTEF Ocean and partners including Kongsberg Maritime, aimed at enabling shore-based crews to oversee multiple uncrewed or reduced-crew ships at once.

“This is the future of efficient maritime transport, and we are an important step closer to deploying the solution,” said Håvard Nordahl, Senior Research Scientist at SINTEF Ocean.

From Offshore to Cargo

Autonomous navigation technology is already used on vessels such as Reach Remote 1, a 24-meter uncrewed surface vessel built for seabed mapping and inspection, which the source describes as cutting emissions by 90% and crew requirements by 75%. Cargo ships present a different challenge, since they must still carry freight, limiting the environmental gains achievable through remote operation alone. The all-electric ferry Marit, designed to cross the Oslofjord without onboard crew, currently still carries two people while awaiting final approval, though the crew can intervene if needed.

Addressing Crew Shortages

The push toward shore-based crewing is partly a response to workforce pressures. The BIMCO/ICS Seafarer Workforce Report, cited in the source, projected a shortfall of around 89,000 officers by 2026. Nordahl noted that shifting roles ashore widens the applicant pool, including people who might not be able to work onboard, such as wheelchair users.

Fleet Management and Information Flow

Under the SEAMLESS project, engineers have focused on how information moves between vessels and shore-based crews. During routine operations, screens show only critical data, letting operators track several ships simultaneously; when a problem arises, the display reconfigures to give a fuller view, according to Morten Ingebretsen of Kongsberg Maritime. If several vessels need attention at once, oversight can be transferred to another remote crew.

Regulatory Progress

SINTEF has contributed research-based input to regulators, working alongside the Norwegian Maritime Authority, DNV, Massterly, ASKO Maritime, Reach Subsea, and Kongsberg Maritime. Today, three vessels reportedly operate without a chief engineer aboard, that role instead handled remotely from a control center overseeing all three. The next steps involve gaining approval to move the navigator, then the captain, ashore. Nordahl pointed to the IMO’s adoption of a voluntary regulatory framework for autonomous shipping as a milestone, though he stressed that binding rules are still years away.

A demonstration in the Oslofjord in late May, presented in early June, showed multi-vessel fleet management operating under real-world conditions, intended to build confidence among customers and regulators alike.

Apeks view — The value here isn’t the automation itself but the discipline behind it: real demonstrations, phased approvals, and a chief engineer’s role moved ashore only after it could be proven safe, not assumed so. For owners weighing reduced-crew operations, that sequencing matters more than the headline efficiency gains. Shore-based oversight still depends on people making judgment calls under pressure, and confidence with regulators and customers will be built through demonstrated performance, not projected savings. Binding rules remain years off, and rightly so.