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ClassNK & IBM Japan Agree to Collaborate on World's First Archive Centre for the IMO Goal Based Standards

Published May 3, 2011 12:01 PM by The Maritime Executive

Leading class society and gobal IT company will develop new cloud- based infrastructure to help industry meet new requirements

Leading classification society, ClassNK and IBM Japan (NYSE:IBM, President:Takayuki Hashimoto) announced a new joint project to develop the world’s first archive centre to meet new requirements included in the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) new Goal Based Standards (GBS). The new centre, which will take advantage of cloud-based infrastructure developed by IBM Japan, will be designed to safely store the Ship Construction Files (SCF) that will be required by the GBS, as well as meet the rigorous requirements for both data security and accessibility laid out by the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee.

As part of the new GBS, which will enter into force in 2016, all newly built vessels will be required to maintain copies of a Ship Construction File (SCF) both onboard and at an onshore archive centre. As the SCF will include vital information related to ship safety as well as sensitive intellectual property related to the ship’s design and construction, ensuring both accessibility and security of the SCF data will be paramount in the development of these new archive centres. 

According to ClassNK Chairman and President Noboru Ueda, these requirements mean that classification societies will have an essential role to play in the development of the new archives. “As independent, third-party technical organizations, we are uniquely suited to developing and maintaining the archive centres required by the GBS,” said Mr. Ueda. “As part of our electronic plan approval activities, we have already developed the procedures and systems necessary to ensure the security of vessel plans, and earned the trust of the world’s shipbuilders. The development of this new archive centre is the next logical step in our efforts to better support the wider maritime industry.”

In line with the GBS, however, new standards for archive centers will also need to be established, and a new set of industry guidelines developed by CESA, ICS, INTERCARGO, INTERTANKO, BIMCO, OCIMF, and ICS for the new archive centres was submitted to the IMO at the 87th session of the Maritime Safety Committee in February of 2010. According to Mr. Ueda, addressing the practical and usability requirements for the new archive centres was what led ClassNK to IBM. “Our goal in developing the world’s first archive centre is to set a new standard for the entire industry, and with IBM we have found a partner who can help us achieve just that.”

In addition to the development of the new archive centre, ClassNK and IBM Japan are also working together to develop new software to support green ship recycling. By collaborating on these projects, ClassNK is able to combine its extensive experience in the maritime industry, with IBM Japan’s practical experience and technical know-how in IT infrastructure and cloud computing. Through its partnership with ClassNK, IBM Japan hopes to contribute to the continued development and growth of the entire maritime industry.  

ClassNK and IBM Japan have already begun the planning process for the development of the new archive centre, and hope to release a trial version by the end of 2012.

With more than 180 million gross tons on its register, ClassNK is the world’s largest classification society, helping ensure the safety of some 20% of the world’s commercial tonnage.

IBM Japan is a wholly owned subsidiary of IBM, one of the world’s leading providers of IT solutions.