Special Reports

NYK banks on semi-autonomous shipping to ease Japan’s crew crisis

‘Unmanned operation is not the objective’ as Japanese shipping group and technology firm carry out demonstration project with four ships

Hideyuki Ando, director of NYK’s research arm Monohakobi Technology Institute (MTI), during an autonomous session at Nor-Shipping 2025.
Hideyuki Ando, director of NYK’s research arm Monohakobi Technology Institute (MTI), during an autonomous session at Nor-Shipping 2025.Photo: Nor-Shipping
TradeWinds deputy editorMiami
Published 9 June 2025, 21:10Updated 10 June 2025, 17:22
NYK GroupOrca AIAutonomous shipsInternational Maritime OrganizationJapan