NELSON Stakeholder Event - Good Cooperation Will Pave the Way to a Well-Functioning and Cost-Efficient Digital Maritime Future

The NELSON project hosted its stakeholder conference International Cooperation and Digitalisation in Maritime on 25 November 2025. The event brought together a wide range of perspectives on maritime digitalisation—from international cooperation and port digitalisation to e-navigation, remote pilotage and the future skills needed in our evolving ecosystem.

The event highlighted the need for strong collaboration across the maritime ecosystem. The discussions and presentations given reinforced the shared ambition to build a more efficient, safe and user-centric digital future for shipping and maritime sector as a whole.  

Feedback from participants described the seminar as insightful and one message resonated strongly: digital tools are there to support people, not to replace them. While a lot has been accomplished, there is still room for improvement in building a well-functioning digital maritime future.

Highlights from the Speakers

Hanna Kajander (Fintraffic VTS), Project Manager of NELSON, opened the event by presenting the project’s purpose and progress. She underlined that NELSON was established to develop improved digital solutions and practices for maritime services, enhancing information flow and increasing safety, efficiency and environmental responsibility.

Olli Soininen (Head of Programmes, Fintraffic VTS) followed with a presentation on Insights into international cooperation. His key message was clear: substantial work has already been done to advance maritime digitalisation—and even more lies ahead. Soininen emphasised the need for harmonised global standards, shared situational awareness and strong stakeholder alignment as maritime transport continues its rapid transformation, especially in areas such as data interoperability, port call optimisation and decarbonisation.

The theme of port digitalisation was further deepened when Head of Maritime Solutions Petri Kalske (Fintraffic VTS) discussed ongoing development efforts from Fintraffic’s viewpoint, and Chief Information Officer Timo Sjösten from the Port of Hanko offered practical examples from the port’s digital journey. Sjösten highlighted a number of things in his presentation: utilization of the existing tools and platforms, the importance of agility, curiosity and security-driven leadership in digital transformation as well as the need to rethink traditional practices to build the future.

Janina Tapia Cotrino (Chief Advisor, Traficom) provided a wider overview of maritime digitalisation and e-navigation. Her presentation outlined how modern maritime digitalisation is a systemic transformation requiring new leadership models, deeper cooperation and continuous learning. She also highlighted the role of S-100-based data products, to be introduced in phases from 2026 onwards, in strengthening safety, interoperability and real-time situational awareness.

A joint discussion by Kirsi Ylärinne (Operations and Environmental Director, ESL Shipping) and Assistant Professor Osiris A. Valdez Banda (Aalto University) explored the risks and opportunities of digitalisation. Ylärinne stressed the importance of competence development in the long-term and understanding what skills the sector will need in the future. Valdez Banda pointed out that as digitalisation expands, the maritime ecosystem becomes more complex – making its performance increasingly dependent on how well the ecosystem functions as a whole.

During the panel discussion, participants highlighted the importance of good communication flow and, more broadly, finding a common language—an idea also raised in Tapia Cotrino’s presentation. When asked who should lead the global development of maritime digitalisation, the panel unanimously agreed: the IMO, with the essential caveat that engineers must collaborate closely with end-users.

Presentations:

• Hanna Kajander: NELSON in Short
• Olli Soininen: Insights into International Cooperation in Maritime  
• Timo Sjösten: Tips and Picks from Our Digitalisation Journey
• Janina Tapia Cotrino: Maritime digitalization and e-Navigation

Link to the recording

(accessible until 25 December 2025)

For further information:
Hanna Kajander, Project Manager (Fintraffic VTS) hanna.kajander(at)fintraffic.fi