Posidonia survey finds shipping in ‘structured experimentation’ phase with AI

The maritime industry is engaging with artificial intelligence through cautious, selective experimentation rather than wholesale adoption, according to a survey of over 40 exhibitors conducted ahead of the Splash-sponsored Posidonia 2026, with the Athens exhibition shaping up to be the most technology-focused edition yet as the industry navigates both a digital and geopolitical inflection point.

The survey, conducted by Posidonia organisers in the run-up to the June 1-5 exhibition at the Athens Metropolitan Expo, reveals three distinct industry camps: active adopters embedding AI into core products and services; companies selectively integrating AI for internal efficiency; and a third group maintaining a watchful, observational stance.

Classification societies and technology-native firms appear most advanced. Bureau Veritas is embedding AI in routing optimisation, fuel prediction and risk-based inspection frameworks, while bunker technology firm Nereus Digital describes AI as “not a feature we are adding – it is a structural component of our platform.” At the cautious end, Navigator Shipping Consultants and others stress that emergency decision-making and complex operational judgment remain firmly human-led.

“What we are witnessing is not blind adoption, but structured experimentation,” said Theodore Vokos, managing director of Posidonia Exhibitions. “The maritime industry is assessing AI through the lens of safety, compliance and return on investment.”

Vokos said AI’s course is set, but “the pace will remain characteristically maritime, resembling a U-turn of a tanker in high seas: steady, deliberate and guided by safety, regulation, and operational realism.”

Posidonia has a new record to go alongside its position as the world’s most famous shipping show. The 2026 edition of the Greek shipping showcase is set to run across nearly a month of activity, as organisers stretch the event into a three-week programme of conferences, meetings, networking, social and sporting events, making it the world’s longest shipping get-together.

While Posidonia Week itself still runs from June 1 to 5, official activities will begin in early May, turning the world’s biggest shipping gathering into its longest-running one yet.

osidoAll 50,000 sq m of exhibition space at the Metropolitan Expo has been sold out months in advance, with thousands of exhibitors and visitors from around 140 countries expected in Athens.

source : splash247