The future of maritime transportation has already begun a few years ago, when highly automated systems have been implemented on board ship navigational bridges. Highly automated technical systems are to provide support for navigating officers of the watch (OOW) by numerous functions to monitor specific parameters related to safety of navigation. Technical systems trigger information, warnings and alerts to rise the attention of the navigator on a certain status, a specific situation or an event an OOW needs to respond by taking appropriate action to ensure safety of navigation.

Nowadays, the advanced technologies, rapid digitalization and improved and more reliable communication means are available for the development of autonomously navigating ships. The most ambitious aim is to un-crew ships and let the ships sail from one port to her destination without any person onboard. However, the transition from conventional crewed ships to skeleton crews for maintenance and service work, up to completely unmanned vessels will also shift the navigation process. Originally, navigation tasks are carried out onboard. However, the new technologies will shift those tasks from the ship to any kind of a shore-based office. Control stations established ashore to monitor the progress of the voyage and enabling the provision of facilities for remotely navigating the ship.

This paper aims to discuss and to contribute to the identification of training needs for future navigating officers. Operational requirements for future scenarios of maritime traffic and content of training modules will be derived. Mixed methods studies including, i.a., simulation experiments and expert interviews have been carried out to determine and discuss requirements for operational integration and future navigation personnel onboard seagoing vessels, and ashore in monitoring and control stations respectively. Focus is laid on the standards of good seamen ship and the changing perspective, from an onboard navigational bridge to a workstation in a shore-based office.

Keywords: Maritime Education and Training (MET), Maritime Simulation, Situation assessment, Situational awareness.