Digital Twins Transforming Maritime Operational Efficiency: Brenda Robinson
They allow captains, owners, and service teams to see how the boat is actually operating, predict failures before they happen, and make better maintenance and efficiency decisions. In essence, a digital twin is a living, data-driven model of the vessel that improves safety.
With growing demand for smarter, cleaner and more efficient operations, the maritime industry has been slowly and steadily turning to new technological breakthroughs like artificial intelligence, smart fleet management, Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics, autonomous vessels and digital twins. The year 2025 has seen ship operators turn to technology for efficiency, sustainability and operability.
In an interaction with SeaNews, Brenda Robinson, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, iNav4U, said they have a front-row seat to the rapid evolution of maritime technology. “We see several defining breakthroughs and challenges shaping 2025 and the year ahead.”
She highlighted three breakthroughs:
Rise of the Marine Operating System
2025 is the year the marine industry moved beyond ‘black box’ electronics. The shift toward open-protocol operating systems - capable of unifying every sensor, system, and app on board - is beginning. This represents the single biggest step forward in decades. Fragmented systems are finally giving way to unified platforms, enabling real-time vessel intelligence, cross-device communication, and automated decision support.
Rules-Based AI Becomes Operational
AI is no longer a buzzword. What we witnessed in 2025 is the emergence of practical AI: rules-based automation that supports captains with meaningful alerts, early-warning diagnostics, and contextual guidance.
It’s not about replacing humans - it’s about elevating situational awareness and reducing preventable failures.
Data as a Lifecycle Asset
Owners, yards, service providers, and insurers are all beginning to understand that vessel data is not a by-product; it’s an asset. In 2025, we saw early adoption of data-driven maintenance strategies, risk scoring, and digital twins, which will become central to vessel lifecycle management.
There are also challenges, Brenda said:
Legacy Systems Are Slowing Down Innovation
The biggest bottleneck is still the industry’s reliance on closed, proprietary hardware. These legacy systems create data silos that limit innovation, drive up costs, and leave captains managing too many isolated interfaces.
Cybersecurity
As vessels finally become connected, cybersecurity risk grows. The challenge is not only protecting onboard systems, but ensuring that remote access, updates, and cloud integrations maintain maritime-grade security standards.
Tech Fragmentation for the End User
Captains are still dealing with an overwhelming number of apps and devices. Chartplotters, weather apps, anchor apps, logbooks, maintenance systems - none of which seamlessly talk to each other.
The result is cognitive overload and operational inefficiency.
Digital Twins: Gamechanger
Brenda believes digital twins are transforming the way they understand vessels. “Digital twins are real-time virtual replicas of a vessel that continuously mirror its condition, performance, and behaviour using live data from onboard systems. They allow captains, owners, and service teams to see how the boat is actually operating, predict failures before they happen, and make better maintenance and efficiency decisions. In essence, a digital twin is a living, data-driven model of the vessel that improves safety, reduces costs, and extends asset life.
“By creating a real-time virtual version of the boat, we can simulate behaviour, anticipate failures, and continuously optimise performance. It’s one of the most powerful tools shaping the future of maritime operations.” It connects systems throughout the lifecycle – from design, right through to construction and maintenance. Robinson says they are widely used in aerospace, aviation, advanced manufacturing, and large commercial shipping. “In the leisure marine sector, they’re just beginning to emerge mostly on superyachts and commercial fleets, because the tech has been too fragmented and expensive. With platforms like Zora OS (and open-protocol ecosystems), digital twins become possible and affordable for vessels 40–100 ft for the first time.”
Basically, digital twins enhance ship operations through predictive maintenance, whereby sensors are embedded in engines, hulls, and propulsion systems to monitor performance. Digital twins use data analytics to detect anomalies and flag potential failures well before they occur. It optimises route planning, factors in weather patterns, ocean currents, and traffic density. Moreover, ship operators with real-time digital twin dashboards can monitor everything from fuel efficiency to hull integrity, and make adjustments remotely. It can also be used for port optimisation. Digital twins can reduce congestion at ports, reduce vessel turnaround times, optimise container flow, and reduce delays. It also enhances safety and risk management.
Predictions
Brenda also shared iNav4U’s technological predictions for 2026. She said:
The Marine OS Will Become Standard on New Builds
Just as smartphones replaced individual devices, we expect integrated operating systems to replace traditional marine electronics. System builders and OEMs will shift from closed hardware to open, software-defined solutions, driven by customer demand and competitive pressure.
Fully Automated Situational Awareness
2026 will introduce the first wave of AI-augmented captains. Systems will be able to detect anomalies before they become failures, automatically tune vessel systems for efficiency, anticipate risks based on real-time conditions, and orchestrate emergency workflows.
She believes this will redefine safety standards across leisure and commercial sectors.
The Maritime App Marketplace Arrives
Once the OS layer is standardised, innovation will explode. We predict that by 2026, the industry will support true ‘app-store-style’ marketplaces, allowing developers to build specialised tools that plug directly into the vessel’s core systems. This democratises innovation and accelerates adoption.
Fleet-Level Digital Twins for Everyone
Where digital twins were once reserved for megayachts and commercial fleets, the New Year will bring affordable, real-time vessel twins for boats 40 - 100 ft. This will significantly reduce service costs and improve asset value.
Data-Driven Risk Will Reshape Insurance
Insurers will begin adjusting premiums based on real operational data, not guesswork. We see predictive analytics and transparency becoming central to how risk is priced, reported, and mitigated.
Source:
https://www.seanews.co.uk/technology/digital-twins-transforming-maritime-operational-efficiency-brenda-robinson