On Placing Our Bets for Survival: Priorities for Attempting Change in Maritime Transport

Abstract

Fourth International Shipbuilding & Ocean Engineering Conference, Helsinki, Finland, September 7-10, 1986&&All of us recognize the need for improving the economic performance of our merchant ships. Improvements imply changes in hardware, in operations, and in government policies. All such modifications or innovations involve risk and many require extra financial investment. Clearly, we have neither the financial nor human resources to attempt change in all facets affecting the economics of marine transport. We must, therefore, be selective and target for change those segments that promise the greatest returns on what we invest in the attempt. &&To help us place our bets in this endeavor, I have solicited the opinions of responsible managers of merchant fleets of many nations. As was to be expected, widely differing views exist, and yet there emerges a gratifying number of potential changes that attract high degrees of support. This paper focuses attention on those changes. It also catalogs a goodly number of specific suggestions volunteered by various respondents. Overall, certain patterns of thought occur and these are highlighted in the paper.