IMO will be hosting a seminar to share insights on regulatory barriers and uncertainties encountered by national Administrations and industry for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) projects currently undertaken or planned for the future. It will explore how such obstacles can be overcome by establishing an international legal framework to regulate the operation of MASS.

The Seminar will be held online from Monday, 5 September 2022 to Tuesday, 6 September 2022, from 11.00 a.m. to 2 p.m. (UTC+1). The event is open to all interested parties and will be conducted in English without interpretation.

Attendees at the MASS seminar can expect to hear from IMO Member States, international organizations and academic institutions. Topics to be covered will include approaches taken to address MASS on a national level and how work could be progressed at IMO.

Panel discussions, addressing all relevant aspects of the development of a regulatory framework for MASS, will allow for an exchange of views on the additional opportunities and international efforts needed to support IMO in its effort to ensure the safe and legally sound operation of MASS.

This seminar follows in the footsteps of the recently completed regulatory scoping exercises (RSE) for the use of MASS by the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), the Legal Committee (LEG) and the Facilitation Committee. Work has commenced in the three Committees to address the regulation of MASS in the instruments under their purview.

MSC 105 agreed to develop a non-mandatory goal-based MASS Code, which would provide the basis for the development of a future mandatory instrument. LEG 109 and FAL 46 agreed to work on measures to address MASS in the instruments under their purview.

The outcome of the Seminar will be reported to the first meeting of the Joint MSC/LEG/FAL Working Group on MASS, which has been scheduled to take place from 7 to 9 September 2022. The outcome will also be reported to the MSC, the LEG and FAL Committees.