Celebrating 100 editions of The Brief

This week, we’re celebrating the 100th edition of The Brief! To mark the occasion, we’re travelling back 100 years to spotlight some technology milestones that continue to shape our world today.

The invention that changed the world

There was once a time when watching a moving picture at home was just a fantasy. That all began to change in 1925 when engineer and inventor John Logie Baird brought his vision to life.

In March 1925, Baird began a series of demonstrations of moving silhouette images at Selfridge’s department store in Oxford Street. He first started thinking about how pictures could be transmitted and received back in 1922 but it took a few years for him to test out his theories.?

?In October 1925, Baird transmitted the first television picture with tone gradation from his laboratory in London. Two years later,? the world’s first television sets were on sale in Selfridge’s.?

The marine engine revolution?

Swiss-born engineer Dr. Alfred Büchi hit a high point in 1925 when he boosted engine efficiency by a whopping 40% with his turbocharging system.? In 1905 he received a patent for a compressor driven by exhaust gases, but it took him until 1925 to get the first successful exhaust-gas turbocharging system effectively applied to an engine.?

This was one of the most important milestones in developing marine diesel engines.??

Changing time forever

In 1925, Canadian engineer Warren Marrison at Bell Telephone Laboratories was tasked with improving frequency standards for radio transmissions. His work led to an unexpected breakthrough: the creation of the first quartz crystal clock.

While his goal was to determine the frequency by counting the number of vibrations that occurred in a given time, he inadvertently produced the first quartz crystal clock. This ended up being a major technological milestone as Quartz technology became the standard for accurate clocks and watches, replacing mechanical movements. Moreover, Quartz oscillators improved radio and telecommunications by providing stable and accurate frequencies.

?If you’re interested in finding out more about how advanced technologies are helping the shipping industry, check out Thetius’ latest research here. It is free to Thetius IQ subscribers, but if you haven’t signed up yet and would like to learn more about what Thetius IQ offers, request a call back here.?

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LATEST NEWS

In shipping and maritime news this week, Maritime AI company Windward has agreed a deal to sell the company to a growth equity investment firm for approximately US $270 million.

Maritime tech company GeoServe has reached an agreement to acquire UK based SHINC. By combining GeoServe and SHINC’s software and expertise, the synergies generated aim to enhance risk management, address capital exposure and drive process efficiency in managing laytime and demurrage claims within the shipping industry.

KR (Korean Register) has partnered with Sinokor Merchant Marine and HD Hyundai Marine Solution (HD HMS) on condition-based maintenance (CBM) technology powered by artificial intelligence.?

Digital payment solutions provider ShipMoney has announced its partnership with Megga Telecom, a telecommunications provider, to introduce eSIMCrew. This collaboration aims to enhance connectivity for travellers and overseas workers, offering them a seamless Data Roaming experience.

Attica Group has agreed a new deal with Orbyt Global and Telenor Maritime to provide passenger connectivity across its fleet, including Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries, ANEK Lines, and Hellenic Seaways.

Vessel Performance Solutions has announced that Sallaum Lines, a provider of Ro-Ro shipping services, has selected the VESPER performance management platform to optimise the operational efficiency and environmental compliance of its eight-vessel fleet.?

Awake.AI has obtained a CO2 digital solution that will be utilised at the ports of Rauma, Pori, Norrk?ping, Oxel?sund, Mariehamn, Tallinn, and Riga. The digital tool will be used to report scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions in the ports of Rauma, Pori, Norrk?ping, Oxel?sund, Mariehamn, Tallinn, and Riga.

NYK and Yusen Logistics (YL) have introduced a digital platform for managing GHG emission reductions. The platform is provided by 123Carbon, a Netherlands-based startup working on decarbonising the logistics sector.

If you would like to stay on top of the latest maritime headlines, check out Thetius IQ. It’s a one-stop shop for all maritime news, research, and in-depth articles, and features a comprehensive organisation database.

The latest insight from the Thetius team

We’re in the final week of our survey, and we’d love to hear from you!?We’re exploring cyber risk management in the maritime industry and gathering insights from professionals like you to better understand this critical area. This is your last chance to have your voice heard, as the survey closes on Thursday, 9th January.

Your input is invaluable and could make a real difference in shaping how our industry tackles the challenges of cyber risk. The results of this research will be published in Q2 2025, and we’re excited to see the impact your perspectives will have. Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute and join us in shaping the future of maritime cyber risk management!

Take the survey

Have you registered for our next webinar?

Join our webinar The Great Divide: Closing the Communication Chasm between Terminals and Shippers on Wednesday 15th of January, from 3 pm to 4 pm (GMT) to explore how the maritime industry can address the visibility gap between marine terminals and shippers.?

Our upcoming webinar will showcase our latest research created in partnership with Kaleris. We hope you can join us as we delve into the findings of The Great Divide. This comprehensive thought leadership report sheds light on the root causes of the visibility disconnect between terminals and other supply chain players and presents actionable recommendations to foster collaboration. ?

Register here

New articles released since the last edition of The Brief

Final recommendations for implementing AI in maritime.

In our latest thought leadership, commissioned by Lloyd’s Register (LR) we explored the current state of operational AI in the shipping industry. It examines the latest trends and developments in AI? applications, provides case studies showcasing successful implementations and discusses critical considerations for achieving a successful return on investment (ROI).

Throughout the course of the research, Thetius analysts recommend 6 key recommendations to the industry when it comes to implementing AI into maritime operations. In our previous article, we shared the first three of these recommendations. In this article, we present the final three recommendations.?

To learn more about measuring digital maturity and transforming information, read our thought leadership report, produced in collaboration with?Lloyd’s Register,?The Benchmark: Measuring the Progress of Digital Transformation in Ship Operations.?This report provides a deep dive into the journey towards digital maturity for maritime businesses.?You can download a copy here.?

A look at the implementation of S-100.?

When any new data standard or regulation is announced, the question on many minds is how and when implementation will happen. A key challenge with S-100 is that there is no clear cut answer. S-100 products will be introduced gradually, in two phases. The purpose of this phased approach is to ensure that there is sufficient time to test and validate products for compliance with the standards.?

For further insight into the areas highlighted in this article, download our latest thought leadership report ‘New Waters’, created in partnership with the UK Hydrographic Office.

Why benchmark digital transformation in shipping??

Modern digital technologies offer ship operators an effective toolbox for enhancing safety, compliance, and profitability. However, the success of a digital transformation strategy depends on how well it is executed.

The strong execution of digital transformation will lead to increased competitiveness and compliance, but what does that mean? Performance is a relative concept. Performance must be measured against something to carry any form of meaning.?Therefore, how well a company is handling the rate of change in digital transformation needs a standard curve, or benchmark, for comparison.

To explore the concept of benchmarking digital transformation in shipping, download our thought leadership report, produced in collaboration with?Lloyd’s Register,?The Benchmark: Measuring the Progress of Digital Transformation in Ship Operations.?This report provides a deep dive into the journey towards digital maturity for maritime businesses.?You can download a copy here.

An exploration of today's navigational challenges.

According to the UKHO, today, S-57 data is used by approximately 50,000 vessels. In some cases, it provides resolutions comparable to S-100 standards. However, S-57 lacks integration with other contextual data.

?For instance, while high-definition ENCs may offer resolution comparable to S-102, they do not allow integration with S-104. This limits mariners’ access to real-time information, preventing a complete view of their dynamic environment in a single interface. As a result, mariners may struggle to adjust for tidal shifts or surface current changes that could impact their route or manoeuvring, reducing the safety of navigation and creating uncertainty in planning routes and managing ETAs.?

?For further insight into the challenges highlighted in this article, download our latest thought leadership report ‘New Waters’, created in partnership with the UK Hydrographic Office.

Understanding organisational maturity levels in digital benchmarking.

Is your organisation mature, emerging, foundational or visionary in its approach to digital? Based on the difficulty of implementation and the expected time to pay back the return on investment, one can categorise the use cases for digital transformation into the four maturity levels. The variety of use cases open to the organisation varies depending on its maturity level.??

To explore the concept of benchmarking digital transformation in shipping and the importance of digital maturity, download our thought leadership report, produced in collaboration with?Lloyd’s Register,?The Benchmark: Measuring the Progress of Digital Transformation in Ship Operations.?This report provides a deep dive into the journey towards digital maturity for maritime businesses.?You can download a copy here.?

Subscribers to the Thetius Intelligence Platform can access all of our reports and content here. If you are not subscribed and would like to find out more about our research and reports, request a callback with our team.