Further growth in containerships and a rise in trade is predicted by Global Shippers Forum Director James Hookham, but disruption in the forms of tariffs, cyber-attacks and extreme weather may counter uplift. In addition, digitalisation and AI, the UN High Seas Treaty and meeting net zero by 2050 outlined by IMarEST as future maritime trends.

Nuclear power in spotlight as the search for clean, reliable power in shipping continues.

There is a need to "radically rethink the role of human watchkeepers in the digital age", according to MAIB.