CMA CGM, Bureau Veritas (BV) and Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI) have launched a joint development project to explore an AI-assisted container vessel concept aimed at improving ship efficiency, safety and crew support while keeping humans firmly in operational control.
The partners signed the Joint Development Project (JDP) agreement during the SMM maritime exhibition in Hamburg on September 3, 2026. The initiative will examine how digitalisation, artificial intelligence and onboard decision-support systems can be integrated into containership operations.
Focus on Assisted, Not Autonomous, Operations
The project is being developed around an “assisted vessel” concept rather than fully autonomous navigation. The objective is to use technology to support crews in making operational decisions, improve energy efficiency and reduce repetitive workloads without removing human oversight.
The study will initially identify key onboard functions that could benefit from different levels of digital assistance. These could include operational and energy-management functions, with the partners assessing the appropriate balance between automated support and human decision-making.
Roles of the Three Partners
CMA CGM will contribute operational requirements, use cases and the shipowner perspective, helping ensure that the technologies examined are relevant to real-world container shipping.
SDARI will provide its expertise in merchant ship design, systems engineering and smart-ship technologies, while Bureau Veritas will contribute independent expertise in safety, classification, risk assessment, human factors and regulatory requirements.
The collaboration is intended to create a technology-neutral vessel concept that can be assessed from technical, commercial and regulatory perspectives.
Safety and Human Oversight Central to Study
A major element of the project will be examining how crew responsibilities should evolve as digital assistance becomes more capable. The partners will develop a Concept of Operations and Basis of Design defining crew roles, assisted functions and potential shore-based support.
Human-factor and safety assessments will be conducted using a risk-based approach aligned with Bureau Veritas rules. This is intended to ensure that AI-enabled functions enhance rather than undermine safe ship operations.
Towards Approval in Principle
Following the initial assessment, the selected vessel concept will undergo detailed evaluation covering technical, safety, regulatory and commercial feasibility.
The final phase is expected to produce technical specifications and an Approval in Principle (AiP) application, along with high-level capital and operating cost estimates and a development roadmap.
The initiative reflects the shipping industry’s growing interest in using AI and digital decision-support technologies to improve vessel efficiency and safety while ensuring that seafarers remain central to operational decision-making.