Digital systems and digitalisation technologies - UK Maritime Innovation Hub
Transforming maritime operations through safe, connected and data-driven innovation.
Digital systems are central to the evolution of modern maritime operations. The UK Maritime Innovation Hub supports industry in understanding, trialling and adopting digital technologies that enhance safety, efficiency, situational awareness and decision-making.
Our role is to act as a focal point within the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and enabler, helping innovators navigate regulatory considerations, integrate systems safely, design credible trials and generate the evidence needed for deployment across vessels, ports and infrastructure.
How we support digital innovation
Early guidance and regulatory navigation
Digital technologies often span multiple regulatory spaces: navigation, situational awareness, automation, communications, cyber security and data management.
We help innovators:
- identify which regulatory frameworks may apply to digital systems
- understand evidence requirements around reliability, integrity, human-machine interfaces and safe operation
- engage with MCA specialists and relevant technical authorities early
Trial design and demonstration
From digital twins to artificial intelligence (AI) enabled decision tools, many digital systems require testing in real-world conditions.
We support organisations:
- develop structured, safe trial plans with clear objectives and test matrices
- define operational constraints, fallback modes and risk controls
- establish data capture approaches that provide credible performance and safety evidence
- coordinate multi-stakeholder environments like ports, remote operations centre (ROC) facilities or mixed traffic waterways
Integration and human factors
Digital solutions must integrate safely and intuitively with existing systems and people.
We help innovators consider:
- system and sensor integration with bridge systems, propulsion, monitoring and communications
- potential alerting, workload and ergonomic impacts on mariners and remote operators
- interoperability across platforms, data standards and operational environments
- cyber resilience expectations for digitally enabled systems
Data, analytics and evidence generation
We support developers to build strong evidence cases around:
- operational performance improvement
- predictive or AI-based functionality
- reliability, accuracy and failure mode behaviour
- integration with environmental, navigational or emissions-related datasets
This ensures digital systems are technically sound and supported by transparent data suitable for regulatory and operational assurance.
Learning and sector guidance
As digital trials progress, the UK Maritime Innovation Hub helps capture:
- lessons learned
- integration challenges
- human factors findings
- operational best practice
We use this to support broader guidance, replication and digital technology adoption across the UK maritime sector.
Areas we commonly support
The UK Maritime Innovation Hub supports:
- digital twins for vessels, ports, infrastructure, and the wider cargo system
- predictive analytics including for AI-enabled optimisation
- integrated situational awareness along with sensor fusion
- remote operations centre (ROC) systems including integration and the human-machine interface
- data platforms including interoperability solutions
- cybersecure digital architectures
Work with us
Whether you are developing a maritime digital twin, trialling AI-enabled decision tools, or integrating new systems into vessel or port operations, the UK Maritime Innovation Hub can support you through concept development, testing and deployment.
Contact the UK Maritime Innovation Hub by completing the online form.
For further information email innovation@mcga.gov.uk.