Sean M. Holt

Kata...Rocks!

By Sean M. Holt 2019-02-02 18:00:00

Southeast Asia’s most exclusive superyacht gathering, proves itself as the bespoke lifestyle and relaxed business affair not to miss. The Maritime Executive was invited to Asia’s hottest yachting event; we brought our hi-def virtual reality equipment. So, grab your morning coffee and prepare for the immersive experience of the iconic resort and onboard a few of the participating Rendevous vessels. Virtual Tour: Schooner Dallinghoo As seasoned mariners, we have all undoubtedly attended...

Thailand Yacht Show & RendezVous Starts January 10

By Sean M. Holt 2019-01-03 16:34:16

Looking for the best way to start your New Year? Come join MarEx and Southeast Asia’s yachting community in Phuket, Thailand. Taking place from January 10 to 13, 2019, the fourth edition of Thailand’s Yacht Show & RendezVous (TYSR) is primed to be the biggest ever yacht line-up and premier to occur in the Kingdom. Set during Phuket’s peak season, this “all-inclusive” show will take place at the Royal Phuket Marina. Organized in partnership with the Thai Government, TYSR has...

Blockchain and Cryptocurrency: 2018 in Review

By Sean M. Holt 2019-01-03 01:20:00

“What is needed is an electronic payment system based on cryptographic proof instead of trust, allowing any two willing parties to transact directly with each other without the need for a trusted third party.” - Satoshi Nakamoto Bitcoin is dead…again. According to 99bitcoins.com’s “Bitcoin Obituaries”, Bitcoin has died 337 times since 2010 (91 times in 2018, alone). Despite the clickbait, this year has seen great strides for blockchain and distributed ledger technologies (DLT), particularly for the transportation and logistics...

Cognitive Dissonance

By Sean M. Holt 2019-01-02 14:45:31

The rate of accelerated change has become exponential. Staying on top of the reading alone is a full-time job, let alone trying to decide on strategies that either endorse or oppose each new development. So herewith a primer on some of the disruptive technologies that, if not already, should be on your radar. Let’s start with some axioms that could be considered mental “best-practices.” Being aware of the disruption on the horizon is not...

A Force Awakens

By Sean M. Holt 2018-12-25 18:31:20

In a remote corner of the developing world, a third-party logistics (3PL) driver accepts the terms of a digital smart contract through a mobile app on his smart phone to pick up a refrigerated container of perishable flowers. Upon pickup, the driver scans QR codes on the documentation and a container connected to Internet of Things (IoT)-related sensor data – temperature, pallet-tracking, returnable packaging – thus accepting transfer of custody. The event is time-stamped with a network confirmation as the...

Industry Readies for Blockchain Summit Singapore

By Sean M. Holt 2018-08-26 22:18:31

As MarEx continues its persistent coverage of blockchain technology for the maritime industry, we will be attending the Blockchain Summit Singapore on August 28. Blockchain Summit Singapore is a one-day conference and exhibition connecting over 700 industry leaders, business decision makers, tech innovators and investors. Blockchain Summit is the largest dedicated Blockchain Event Series in the world. With no co-located side events, it is purely a Blockchain focused audience. There are over 60+ speakers, 25 case studies and 34 sessions...

Exploring Blockchain at Bloconomic 2018

By Sean M. Holt 2018-07-23 11:48:35

Thanks to the transparency and security inherent in its design, blockchain technology is gaining traction in multiple sectors, including the maritime industry. BLOCONOMIC 2018, an interdisciplinary blockchain conference, will be hosted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on August 16 and 17. It is expected to draw thousands of attendees from over 30 countries, with representatives from sectors that range from energy, finance, government, and academia, BLOCONOMIC 2018 intends to foster multi-disciplinary collaborations. Use-cases to be addressed will cover provenance (traceability and Q/A), supply chain...

Southern Points of Entry

By Sean M. Holt 2017-11-29 18:22:34

For centuries prior to the advent of the intermodal container, the unloading process known as “breaking bulk,” or extracting a portion of the cargo of a vessel, was the norm. Whether it be boxes, crates, drums, barrels, pallets, skids or wind farm equipment, these bulk items are transferred from ship to ground to market at a “break-in-bulk point.” And although containers are now ubiquitous, the dry bulk trade totaled 4.9 billion tons in 2016, according to Clarkson’s, or 44 percent...

Man the Ships!

By Sean M. Holt 2017-09-17 03:30:28

(This article was originally was published in the 2017 July/August edition) There are many words for a seafarer, some good, some not. But there can be no doubt that seafarers are society’s first truly international community. Regardless of a vessel’s working language, multiculturalism is second nature to those who work at sea, and there are few endeavors in life that broaden one’s myopic view of the world as much as seafaring. And just as teamwork is essential to a company’s...

The Edge of Tomorrow

By Sean M. Holt 2017-08-08 18:26:04

Designing tomorrow’s ships today. Some say the future is created by designing it. Rolls- Royce says it is “Bringing the Future to You” through advances in digital technology and the development of remote capabilities. In this article we journey around the globe to showcase a sampling of advances in smart ship technology and design, so let’s begin with a vision of future shipping from a Rolls-Royce white paper on “Ship Intelligence”: “GPS signal lost for vessel...