Consultancy McKinsey has gazed into its crystal ball and imagined a world where 50 years into the future, huge 50,000-teu containerships ply the oceans.
In a look at how the industry could reinvent itself for the digital age, the company said these giant vessels will likely be autonomous and could perhaps operate alongside "modular, drone-like floating containers."
Despite the limiting factors of infrastructure, it does not view the current 20,000-teu monsters as the natural end point for vessels.