DNV Launches Phase 2 of Smart Shipping Centre of Excellence — Remote Operations and AI Decision-Making Go Scalable

DNV has launched Phase 2 of its Centre of Excellence for Maritime Decarbonisation & Smart Shipping Asia Pacific (COE) in Singapore, marking a deliberate shift from testing individual autonomous and digital concepts to building readiness across the wider maritime system. Originally established in 2021, the COE is now expanding its scope to support initiatives focused on next-generation remote operations systems, AI-enabled decision-making tools, and workload redistribution to safely transfer complex tasks from ship to shore. Phase 2 is not about research prototypes. It is about building the platforms, standards, and assurance frameworks that allow remote operations and AI-assisted decision-making to move from pilot projects to scalable, commercially viable deployment. The expanded programme brings in additional local experts with experience in autonomy, cybersecurity, remote operations centre design, and emissions data management, who will provide targeted training, advisory services, and standards development. The classification society signal: DNV's Antony M DSouza, Regional President for Southeast Asia, Pacific & India, framed the expansion directly: advanced digital capabilities are enabling new ways of planning and managing fleets, while remote operations and autonomy are gaining traction. The Centre's Director, Dr Shahrin Osman, added that remote operations and autonomy require more than technical progress — they must be built on models backed by trusted assurance. This is the classification society explicitly positioning itself as the assurance layer for AI-enabled maritime operations. MPA's Ng Yi Han confirmed that the Phase 2 expansion strengthens capabilities in remote operations, AI-enabled systems, and new fuels — directly linking the COE's work to Singapore's broader smart shipping infrastructure ambitions announced at SMW 2026. Why this matters for ship managers: When a classification society moves from running pilots to building scalable assurance platforms for AI and remote operations, it signals that these technologies are approaching the point where they can be classed, insured, and commercially deployed. Fleet operators evaluating AI-enabled decision-making tools or remote operations capabilities should monitor whether DNV's COE produces class guidelines or notations that provide the regulatory certainty needed to justify fleet-wide investment. [Smart Maritime Network · Safety4Sea]

This story is part of the Maritime AI Digest of 26 April 2026.