Shipping has more operational data than ever, but David Edwards, Head of Information Technology at Navigator Gas, says the industry still has work to do before that data can consistently become useful knowledge.
Over the past decade, data gathering across fleets has improved considerably. Yet differences between vessels, systems and the shore-based organisation make it difficult to turn that information into something the wider business can use.
“The information is increasingly there, but we haven’t yet really turned that into knowledge,” Edwards says.
For Navigator Gas, which operates a fleet of 56 vessels, the challenge is partly rooted in the way shipping has traditionally built its technology environment. Ships have different equipment, different system vintages and, historically, unreliable communications. That creates a very different IT landscape from a conventional shore-based business.
“There’s huge variation to try and contend with, right down to sort of lack of data standardization, but let alone the sort of different interfaces and system designs that you encounter,” he says.
From data gathering to business value
The connectivity picture is changing. The arrival of Starlink and other low Earth orbit services gives vessels greater access to data and creates more opportunities to connect shipboard systems with shore-based operations.
But better connectivity does not automatically solve the underlying IT problem.
Edwards argues that maritime companies need to think about IT as a business partner rather than simply a support function. This is particularly important in shipping, where relatively small shore teams support large numbers of crew and vessels.
At Navigator Gas, around 2,000 crew are supported by approximately 180 shore-based staff. That ratio makes it difficult to maintain the highly specialised IT structures found in much larger organisations.
“We tend to have to be more generalists or wear lots of different hats,” Edwards says.
That can make technology decisions harder. Individual departments may choose systems that solve their immediate needs without considering how those systems will work alongside the rest of the company’s technology environment.
“We don’t just get one system because one group of people needs it, which may not be compatible with another system that other groups of people need or someone has a favourite vendor that they’d like doing business with, which may not actually fit well with the whole business strategy.”
A more architectural approach that considers the needs of the wider business rather than treating every technology purchase as a standalone decision is the answer.
Best of breed without the complexity
Navigator Gas follows a best-of-breed approach to technology, rather than relying entirely on one major vendor. Edwards sees advantages in working with specialist providers that can offer greater flexibility and a closer relationship with the customer.
There is a trade-off, however. More vendors can mean more systems, more interfaces and more integration work.
“I would come down on the best of breed for companies up to a certain size,” Edwards says. “But you should always be aiming to minimize and simplify the portfolio to minimize the touch points between systems, the integration points, just to try and keep things standardized and simplified.”
Data governance becomes particularly important in that environment. Companies need to know which system holds the master data, which systems consume it and who is responsible for maintaining it.
Open standards and APIs can make this easier. Edwards argues that vendors should provide them in a standardised way, particularly as companies look to connect different systems and introduce AI tools.
“These days, you know, MCP connectors for, to create AI agents or overlay AI on top of systems so that you can connect two systems together via Copilot or CLAUDE or whatever it is we’re using. So yeah, that’s a crucial element.”
The objective is not necessarily to create one enormous platform. It is to reduce the friction between the systems that a company actually needs. “A well-integrated environment is one with fewer touch points, clear data ownership and interfaces that are straightforward to maintain.”
AI could change the integration equation
Edwards expects AI to alter the way shipping companies think about their IT environments over the next three to five years.
Rather than forcing every system into a single standardised architecture, AI could help companies work across fragmented environments, provided the underlying data and connections are good enough.
“I think AI is going to reduce the need to standardize and probably it’ll mean you could run a fragmented IT environment ecosystem with a relatively small team or run it better,” he says.
That does not mean companies should allow their technology estates to become more complicated. He says the opportunity is to manage existing fragmentation more effectively instead of pursuing consolidation simply for its own sake.
“We shouldn’t be chasing the sort of mega integration or one size fits all approach,” he says. “We should assume that we are going to be increasingly able to manage a more fragmented sort of landscape.”
Data quality will still matter. Better integration reduces manual transfers and, with them, the risk of errors. Better data can then support faster and better decisions across areas such as voyage management and chartering.
“The less manual transfer of data you have, the lower the likelihood of an error,” Edwards says. “But by implication that means better data quality and therefore better decision making.”
Digital Ship Summit 2026
For Edwards, Digital Ship Summit 2026 offers an opportunity to hear how other shipping companies are dealing with many of the same technology questions.
He is looking forward to the informal exchanges as much as the formal sessions, particularly the chance to compare approaches, technologies and practical experiences with peers.
“These things are always great for that horrible word, networking — but in the best possible way. It’s great to meet people and hear what everyone else is focusing on and what technologies they’re using,” he says.
He also wants to hear where the industry is heading on cyber security and AI, as well as how technology is being used to address emissions and ESG goals.
“What’s the impact of AI?” Edwards asks. “And where is technology being brought to bear on the whole ESG piece and carbon emissions?”
For shipping companies dealing with fragmented systems, limited IT resources and a growing volume of data, those conversations have a practical purpose. There is a need to find technology that works across the business without creating another layer of complexity.
