As shipowners continue to invest in digital technologies, attention is turning to how those systems work together rather than what they can do individually. For Casper Jensen, CEO at GTT Marine, the real challenge facing the industry is how effectively the data or tools are connected to support better decision-making.
That thinking also sits behind Danelec’s integration into the GTT Group, which brings together onboard data infrastructure, voyage intelligence and vessel performance expertise under a single organisation. Jensen believes this changes what shipowners now expect from technology suppliers and raises the bar across the industry.
Integrated ecosystems raise the bar
Shipowners selected individual products that solved specific operational problems. According to Jensen, that buying strategy is giving way to something broader.
“Ship owner preference has shifted: from ‘best of breed’ to ‘integrated systems’. Point solution vendors are losing ground.”
He believes owners now expect technology providers to connect operational data across vessels, shore teams and commercial functions rather than offering standalone applications.
“No competitor has assembled onboard infrastructure + voyage intelligence + physics-based performance expertise under one roof. That combination is the new competitive baseline.”
The change comes as operational decisions carry wider commercial consequences than before. A routing choice, for example, can influence fuel costs, emissions exposure, schedule reliability and regulatory compliance at the same time.
“The problem isn’t a lack of data or tools. It’s fragmentation, siloed systems that were never designed to talk to each other.”
Jensen argues that many digital investments have delivered visibility without improving the quality of operational decisions.
“Decision quality hasn’t kept pace with digital investment. A single routing call touches fuel spend, emissions exposure, schedule reliability, and regulatory compliance simultaneously, yet no single system is built around that decision flow.”
Better connections, better decisions
The rapid expansion of onboard connectivity has given operators faster access to vessel information, though Jensen believes connectivity alone does not solve the industry’s challenges.
“Higher connectivity raises the stakes for data quality. The onboard layer must be trusted at source, or near real time visibility just accelerates bad decisions.”
Rather than adding another layer of software, he sees greater value in connecting existing systems into a single operational workflow.
“The value is in connecting what already exists. From onboard data capture through to confident, commercially sound decisions.”
That approach also helps operators deal with growing regulatory requirements without adding further complexity to everyday operations.
“A routing decision now simultaneously affects fuel consumption, emissions exposure, and regulatory compliance. Connected intelligence turns that complexity into a single actionable recommendation.”
The same principle applies to companies seeking commercial value from the growing volumes of vessel data now available across their fleets.
“Decision-makers often must use multiple tools to answer a single commercial question. The companies winning are those designed around decision flows, not individual capabilities.”
Jensen expects the industry’s next phase of digitalisation to focus less on deploying new technologies and more on bringing existing ones together.
“The next phase of maritime digitalisation is unlikely to be shaped by adding more tools. It could be defined by how effectively existing tools and systems are connected.”
He believes the industry has already assembled many of the building blocks.
“The industry has built the components. The value now compounds when they integrate and work together as a single system from vessel to shore.”
