From ship to shore – studies into potential practical consequences of autonomous shipping on VTS operation and training

Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) are to improve the safety and efficiency of vessel traffic and to protect the marine environment by interacting with the ship’s traffic in monitored coastal areas. Today, VTS operators are maritime professionals with nautical education from a university or technical college and practical experience on board. This experience and nautical background is a key element of the work as a VTS operator. It is to support understanding the daily work. The current situation in the maritime domain is undergoing substantial changes, such as introducing new technologies, implementing the e-Navigation concept based on sustainable digitalization and ambitions to realize unmanned and autonomous shipping. This paper will present preliminary results of a pilot study conducted in VTS Centres along the coast of North and Baltic Sea and discuss selected options and opportunities for education and training of future VTS operators, which might not have the advantage of practical sea experience anymore.