In an increasingly complex, fast changing, and challenging market, the role of the classification society is more relevant than ever, according to DNV GL.

Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO of DNV GL – Maritime, stressed the importance of classification at a press conference ahead of Posidonia trade fair in Athens, taking place June 4-8.

Leading off the press conference, DNV GL Group President & CEO Remi Eriksen explained that two megatrends are impacting the maritime industry: decarbonisation and digitalisation.

“The IMO strategy announced last month targets a 50% carbon reduction. This is ambitious but not unachievable. We see some companies leading the way, and more efficient ship designs and better ship utilisation will propel this,” Eriksen said on decarbonisation.

Regarding digitalisation, he commented that “it’s about connecting the hardware with services, with people and with other data streams to build better ways of doing business. And the key to unlocking the value that industrial data holds is trust.”

Class enables innovation in ship building, guides owners and operators through a demanding regulatory landscape, and helps the industry tackle cyber-crime, Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, underlined.

“Our ways of working may be changing. But the purpose of classification still remains the same: To protect life, property and the environment,” he said.

DNV GL is therefore preparing to publish its first cyber security class notations – Cyber Secure – on July 1, 2018. The notation builds on the DNV GL Recommended Practice on cyber security which provides guidance on how to apply ISO/IEC-27001 and ISA-99/IEC-62443 standards in the maritime industry.