The International Maritime Organization has launched autonomous ship regulations to promote the orderly development of intelligent shipping at sea

      At its 111th session, the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) approved the "MASS Code for the Safety of Autonomous Surface Ships at Sea", which will come into effect on July 1, 2026. This code is a guiding document that establishes a goal oriented safety management framework for commercial ships with remote control and autonomous functions, and improves the relevant rules and guidelines of traditional maritime conventions in the field of intelligent ships.

      Standardize the setting of corresponding safety standards around ship design, construction, system certification, navigation operations, remote operation center management, etc., requiring autonomous ships to reach a level equivalent to traditional manned ships in terms of safety protection, security capabilities, and environmental protection. At the same time, ship operations still need to comply with current maritime mandatory rules such as the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). The document covers the definition of ship operation boundaries, risk assessment, equipment redundancy design, network security, ship shore communication links, fire protection, search and rescue plans, emergency switching for faults, etc. It clarifies that the ship needs to define the applicable operating environment, including sea conditions, visibility, water depth, meteorology and other limiting conditions, and develop emergency response plans beyond the operating boundaries.

      The scope of application of this regulation includes international navigation cargo ships (generally over 500 gross tons) that are subject to the SOLAS Convention, and encourages member states to apply the regulation to autonomous ships under 500 gross tons based on their own actual situations. At present, this standard does not have mandatory binding force. Member countries can pilot its application based on their local conditions, synchronously enter the experience accumulation stage, collect actual ship test data, and provide support for the subsequent promotion of the inclusion of this standard into mandatory rules under the SOLAS framework.

      With the advancement of digital transformation in shipping, there has been a gradual increase in sea trials and commercial trials of various remote control and autonomous navigation vessels. This set of globally unified guidance documents can help shipping companies, equipment manufacturers, and ship owners establish unified reference standards during the research and operation stages, facilitating the safe coexistence of intelligent and traditional ships in the same sea area, and helping the shipping industry continue to explore digitalization and low-carbon directions, while balancing multiple goals such as technological innovation, maritime safety, and marine environmental protection.