IT executives from container shipping heavyweights A.P. Moller – Maersk, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC and Ocean Network Express have announced plans to establish a new association to encourage collaboration on digitalisation, standardisation and interoperability in the container shipping industry.

Maersk has launched an instant booking system for its container services, aiming to allow customers to book a container with the shipping company as easily as booking a flight ticket online.

A.P. Moller-Maersk and IBM have announced the launch of their new blockchain venture TradeLens, following on from the companies’ January announcement of their intention to work together to leverage blockchain technologies to improve the efficiency of the global supply chain.

Maersk has agreed a new expanded contract with BigOceanData for the supply of vessel tracking services, extending the companies’ previous agreement by 30 months and increasing the number of vessels covered.

A.P. Møller-Maersk has confirmed that it has begun using a new blockchain platform for marine hull insurance called Insurwave, having acted as the pilot client for the system built by a joint venture between EY and Guardtime.

Maersk has signed a contract with Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics to trial the US company’s perception and situational awareness technology on board one of the shipping company’s new-build Winter Palace ice-class container ships.

A.P. Moller-Maersk and IBM have announced a new joint venture that will see the companies collaborate in the development of a blockchain-based global trade digitisation platform, built on open standards and designed for use by the entire shipping ecosystem.

Maersk and a group of global partners, including financial services firm EY and software giant Microsoft, have announced the launch of a new blockchain platform for the marine insurance sector, planned to be implemented in 2018 having now completed a 20-week Proof of Concept phase.

Shipping giant Maersk has posted its Q2 financial results for 2017, showing a strong 8.4 per cent growth in revenues – however, the company has noted that the unexpected costs of the ‘NotPetya’ cyber-attack it suffered at the end of June will impact negatively on next quarter’s results and could run up to US$300 million.

Maersk has confirmed that all vessels are sailing, online booking processes are accessible, and all APM terminal locations are operational as it works towards resuming full operations following the June 27 cyber-attack that caused a widespread shutdown of its Group IT systems.