THE INTERNATIONAL Chamber of Shipping has signed onto a project to digitalise seafarer certification processes.
ICS will work with the Lloyd’s Register OneOcean platform and the Philippines’ Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) under a memorandum of understanding signed on Wednesday (12 February).
The MoU outlines a pilot project that would explore the integration of seafarer certification systems and development of an app.
The signatories would test the feasibility of a system that stores, consolidates and allows real-time access to all seafarer certificates. The system would facilitate travel for seafarers, who would also be able to “take ownership” of their data and control how it is used.
The initiative aims to reduce administrative burdens of paper-based seafarer endorsement and verification. Its goal is to ensure efficiency for seafarers, flag administrations, port state control and shipping and ship management companies.
ICS said the project would assess potential pathways for digitalising certification processes, with a focus on security and usability.
Paper certificates continue to dominate the industry, ICS said, despite seafarer documentation requiring regular renewal. With requirements and processes differing between countries, this increases the risk of errors, vulnerabilities and longer delays.
“The world is changing and in support of the digital transition we believe this is the imperative next step to support the entire sector with a new solution that will not only minimise administrative burden but maximise efficiency for a safe and sustainable industry,” ICS secretary general Guy Platten said.
“The Philippines is the world’s largest provider of seafarers and working together with MARINA is key to this pilot project.”
Lloyd’s Register OneOcean co-CEO & CPTO Nicholas Goubert said LR is exploring how digital solutions can streamline certification and make processes more efficient for seafarers, flag administrations and the wider industry.
“Working alongside ICS and MARINA on this pilot project is an exciting opportunity to bring together different perspectives and expertise to explore a digital certification approach that could benefit the entire maritime sector, improving accessibility, security, and regulatory compliance in a meaningful way,” he said.
And MARINA administrator Sonia Malaluan said the pilot project marks a significant step in providing a global platform for a streamlined certification process for Filipino seafarers.
“This collaboration reinforces the Philippines’ commitment to aligning with global maritime standards and moving towards digital transformation in the maritime industry,” she said.
ICS, LR OneOcean and MARINA plan to develop an initial application programming interface integration concept to explore linking MARINA’s Integrated Seafarers Management Online System (MISMO) to the pilot platform.
If the concept is successfully validated, MARINA will engage with its seafarer community – about 400,000 Filipino seafarers – to gather insights on digital certification needs and potential adoption pathways.
