Sustainable Maritime Transportation & Digitalisation M.Sc.*

• Maritime transport system within the global supply chain; actors, information and incentives.
• Fundamentals of ship theory & hydrodynamics; resistance, propulsion, sea margin; performance data quality.
• Energy efficiency: fuels, EEXI, CII; technical and operational measures; regulatory context.
• Economic and ecological impacts of maritime operations; KPIs and normalisation.
• Routing & ETA optimisation; weather routing; just-in-time arrivals; decision-support basics.
• Port operations, shore power and green port initiatives; data standards and collaboration.
• Integrated case studies applying a holistic approach across ship, route and port.

• Program structures and principles
• Data structures and database management systems
• Algorithm design and analysis fundamentals (e.g., sorting, searching, graph algorithms)
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analytics
• Programming fundamentals for data analysis (Python or R)

I. Project Management Fundamentals and Application

• Core Concepts: Definition of projects, project environment, and the role of the project manager.
• Methodology: Models for handling agile, traditional, and hybrid projects. Project phases and processes (initiation, planning, executing, monitoring, controlling, closing).
• Planning Tools: Creating Scope Statements, Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), resource allocation, risk and opportunity management (qualitative and quantitative analysis), and defining a Project Management Plan (e.g. as Gantt chart).
• Soft Skills & Leadership: Team development, conflict resolution, cooperation, networking, and the importance of soft skills like communication

II. Innovation and Sustainability Frameworks

• Innovation: Concept and typology of innovation, innovation process, models, and organizational forms for innovation management. Finding creative solutions and innovation management techniques.
• Sustainability: Sustainability principles (e.g. P5 standard), Technology Assessment, and evaluating technological developments against sustainability criteria. Sustainable Project Management incorporating environmental, social, and economic impact.
• Ethics and Governance: Importance of ethical considerations and aligning projects with organizational governance structures.

III. Theory Practice Transfer (TPT) and Project Execution

• Project Context: Structuring, execution, and monitoring of a real-world task provided by an industry partner/own employer.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Identifying and managing stakeholders, effective communication with external partners, and managing their expectations.
• Deliverables: Production of project documentation (e.g., project report/paper, exposé, draft plan) and final presentation/pitch of the solution to external stakeholders.

• Introduction to risk management: definitions, objectives, and frameworks (ISO 31000; IMO context)
• Basic concepts of probability: likelihood, consequence, risk levels, and simple probability combinations relevant to safety and reliability
• Risk assessment tools: FMEA, risk matrix approach, and the IMO’s Formal Safety Assessment (FSA) methodology
• Life-cycle management: stages from design to decommissioning; maintenance planning; total cost of ownership
• Economic evaluation: ROI, NPV, and cost–benefit analysis in maritime investments
• Sustainability perspective: ecological footprint, life-cycle cost vs. environmental impact
• Decision-making under uncertainty: qualitative ranking, scenario evaluation, and prioritisation of mitigation measures
• Case studies: integrated maritime examples linking technical, economic, and environmental aspects

Sustainability of and digitalisation in the maritime transport sector - Legal and Regulatory Aspects – Students will be introduced to the legal and regulatory aspects of the twin, bidirectional challenges that impact and trigger innovation in maritime transport businesses: sustainability and digitalisation. The course will rely on case studies and best practices to illustrate the legal and practical context of sustainability and digitalisation issues in maritime transport.

1. A. Sustainability - An overview of selected regional (EU) and global rules on sustainable shipping with focus on the decarbonization of the maritime sector will be presented. Special attention will be given to the challenges faced by decision-makers and managers in complying with the regulations to decarbonize shipping.
2. B. Digitalisation - Technological and digital developments such as autonomous vessels, autonomous systems and automation of business operations are rapidly and dynamically transforming the maritime transport sector. This course introduces the students to the legal framework of digital technologies in the commercial context. Areas covered will include the legal and regulatory frameworks on 1) E-commerce, digital markets and digital services, 2) on data, including protection of databases, data governance, personal data protection, intellectual property aspects of content and data, and 3) on artificial intelligence.

Procurement – This course will be both theoretical and practical. Topics covered will include the fundamentals of procurement, procurement processes, procurement planning and strategy, sourcing and supplier selection, negotiations, contract management, ethics and compliance, and procurement performance measures. Under the wider umbrella of sustainability and digitalisation, special attention will be paid to digital contracts and e-procurement. Students will be required to test the knowledge learned by way of negotiation exercises and the drafting of sample procurement agreement.

• Digital technologies and architectures in ship and port systems
• Sensors, data acquisition and communication networks (IoT, cloud–edge integration)
• Automation, control and system integration in maritime applications
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning methods for performance optimisation and predictive maintenance
• Big Data architectures and processing in ship and fleet operations
• Cyber Security principles, risk management and resilience strategies
• Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) for secure and transparent data exchange

• Digital transformation fundamentals: drivers, barriers, and maturity assessment in maritime organizations
• Sustainable digital business models: Business Model Canvas, value creation through digitalisation in shipping and logistics
• Change management: Frameworks for leading digital and sustainable transformation initiatives
• Digital leadership: managing distributed teams, stakeholder engagement, and communication strategies
• Data-driven decision making for sustainability: KPIs for environmental performance, emissions monitoring dashboards, and the Balanced Scorecard approach
• Digital strategy development: roadmapping sustainable digital investments, evaluation and prioritization methods
• IT governance, digital risk management, and energy-efficient IT practices
• Case studies: digital transformation driving sustainability in the maritime industry

Elective – Maritime Simulation and Optimization

• maritime simulators as research tool
• simulation and modeling techniques for ships, engine and cargo
• documentation of simulation results
• validation methods

Elective – Autonomous Maritime Systems

Technology Landscape and System Architecture

• Degrees of maritime autonomy (IMO MASS Degree 1–4) and current commercial implementations
• Sensor fusion, perception systems, and COLREGs-compliant collision avoidance algorithms
• Connectivity infrastructure, Shore Control Centre (SCC) architecture, and cybersecurity

Regulatory, Legal, and Insurance Environment

• IMO MASS regulatory scoping exercise and emerging goal-based MASS Code
• Flag state frameworks, classification society notations, and STCW implications
• Liability attribution and P&I insurance considerations for unmanned vessel operations

Management, Business Case, and Organisational Change

• Technology readiness assessment and total cost of ownership modelling for autonomous deployments
• Procurement of autonomous systems: performance specifications, vendor evaluation, and contract structuring
• Remote Control Centre design, workforce transition, and reskilling of seafarers for remote operations roles

• Project scoping and problem definition with industry partners: identifying relevant challenges in digitalisation, sustainability, or change management
• Research design and methodology selection: qualitative and quantitative approaches for industry-oriented projects
• Stakeholder analysis and management in maritime organizations
• Application of frameworks from previous modules: Business Model Canvas, change management models, digital maturity assessment, sustainability metrics
• Data collection and analysis methods: interviews, surveys, operational data analysis, benchmarking
• Solution development: feasibility analysis, risk assessment, and implementation planning
• Project management: agile methods, timeline management, deliverable planning
• Industry collaboration practices: communication protocols, confidentiality, intellectual property considerations
• Presentation techniques: executive summaries, project reports, stakeholder presentations
• Critical reflection and lessons learned documentation

Elective – Maritime Simulation and Optimization

• maritime simulators as research tool
• simulation and modeling techniques for ships, engine and cargo
• documentation of simulation results
• validation methods

Elective – Autonomous Maritime Systems

Technology Landscape and System Architecture

• Degrees of maritime autonomy (IMO MASS Degree 1–4) and current commercial implementations
• Sensor fusion, perception systems, and COLREGs-compliant collision avoidance algorithms
• Connectivity infrastructure, Shore Control Centre (SCC) architecture, and cybersecurity

Regulatory, Legal, and Insurance Environment

• IMO MASS regulatory scoping exercise and emerging goal-based MASS Code
• Flag state frameworks, classification society notations, and STCW implications
• Liability attribution and P&I insurance considerations for unmanned vessel operations

Management, Business Case, and Organisational Change

• Technology readiness assessment and total cost of ownership modelling for autonomous deployments
• Procurement of autonomous systems: performance specifications, vendor evaluation, and contract structuring
• Remote Control Centre design, workforce transition, and reskilling of seafarers for remote operations roles

• Determine the research task or question
• Identify and analyze literature
• Plan and determine the frame of content and time (exposé and draft of Table of Content)
• Determine methods of research
• Work on scientific development of answers
• Analyze and discuss data
• Structure, develop and write the thesis
• Defense of the thesis