IMO Opens the Door to Autonomous Ships — MASS Code Expected to Be Adopted This Week

The International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) meets for its 111th session in London from 13–22 May, and the headline item is the expected adoption of the non-mandatory MASS Code — the first international safety framework specifically designed for autonomous and remotely controlled ships. This has been years in the making. The IMO started its regulatory scoping exercise for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) back in 2017, and after multiple working group sessions, draft chapters, and rounds of member state consultation, the Code is finally ready for formal adoption. What the MASS Code covers: The Code is structured around the functions needed for safe, secure, and environmentally sound operation of autonomous vessels — specifically where existing instruments like SOLAS don't fully address the challenges of remote control and autonomous decision-making. Chapters cover navigation, connectivity, remote operations, software principles, alert management, manning, training, watchkeeping, structure, fire safety, and electrical installations. It's designed as a supplement to existing conventions, not a replacement. The timeline after adoption: This is the non-mandatory version. Once adopted, it enters an experience-building phase — the details of which will be developed at MSC 112 in December 2026. During this phase, flag states and operators will test the Code against real operations and feed back what works and what doesn't. By 2028, IMO plans to begin developing the mandatory Code, drawing on what the experience-building phase produces. The mandatory Code is targeted for adoption by July 2030 and entry into force on 1 January 2032. Also on the MSC 111 agenda: Amendments to the 2011 ESP Code that formally allow Remote Inspection Techniques (RIT) — drones, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and crawlers — for close-up surveys of bulk carriers and oil tankers. This is a quieter but commercially significant development: it means class societies can now formally accept inspection data collected by robots rather than requiring a surveyor to physically climb into a ballast tank. Why this matters for ship managers: Most conventional ships won't be directly affected by the MASS Code in the near term — West P&I's guidance this week (see article 4) makes that clear. But the Code creates the regulatory pathway that will determine how autonomous technology enters your competitive environment over the next decade. The RIT amendments have a more immediate practical impact: if your fleet operates bulk carriers or tankers, remote inspection techniques could reduce survey time, improve safety, and lower the cost and disruption of ESP Code inspections. Watch for your classification society's implementation timeline. [MarineLink · SAFETY4SEA · IMO]

This story is part of the Maritime AI Digest of 10 May 2026.