IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has delivered the keynote address at the International Safety@Sea Conference in Singapore (30 August). In his address, he referred to the central role of the human element in maritime navigation, even in the light of new technology which is steering the industry increasingly in the direction of “smart ships”.

The event, organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, is focussed on building a resilient safety at sea culture. Mr Lim said that, although technology may help seafarers by offering even greater support to their decision making, ships will always require human oversight.