Estonian Maritime Academy

The maritime industry is being shaped by increasing automation and digitalization, use of AI-based decision support tools, remote or unmanned operations, and advances in simulator-based training and assessment. These developments are altering not just what technological systems do on the ships, but also how the seafarers interact with them. Compounding these transformation are ongoing challenges such as - skill development of the ship´s bridge crew, remote or unmanned operations, shifting dynamics between human-automation agents, and changing regulatory frameworks. 

Maritime navigation has evolved from ancient celestial methods, and use of coastal landmarks, to today’s digital era of GPS, electronic charts, radar, and advanced decision-support systems. Each leap—from the compass and sextant to the chronometer and satellite positioning—has reshaped how ships move across the seas and the corresponding role of navigators. Now, the nautical science as a field, stands on the brink of another transformation: the integration of artificial intelligence, automation agents, and remote controlled autonomous vessels. Future navigation will emphasize real-time data fusion, high operational redundancy, predictive safety systems, and seamless human–machine collaboration, ensuring efficiency, resilience, and sustainability in increasingly complex marine environments.

We believe that the future of safety, efficiency and reliability in maritime navigation depends not on technological innovation alone, but on understanding how the navigators perceive, interpret, and respond in highly automated or digitalized environments.

According to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the human element is recognized as a key element of the safety of life on board ships and a contributing factor to most of the casualties in the shipping sector. Maritime safety and safety of navigation itself can be enhanced by strengthening the focus on the human element.

The Nautical Sciences Research Group is committed to exploring the human, operational, and technological dimensions of maritime navigation. By keeping the human element central to navigation innovation, our goal is to support safer, smarter, and more resilient maritime operations—even as we embrace increasingly autonomous technologies.

THE FOUR FOCUS AREAS OF THE RESEARCH GROUP ARE DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

1. Simulation-Based Training and Assessment
   Advancing the use of simulators to design, test, and strengthen seafarer competencies, ensuring effective assessment and preparedness for complex, future-ready navigation scenarios.
2. Policy and Regulatory Frameworks
   Developing evidence-based guidelines to support maritime safety, digitalization, and sustainable operations in global shipping.
3. Human–Machine Collaboration on Ship bridge
   Investigating interaction models and decision-support systems to ensure safe, efficient, and resilient navigation in increasingly automated ship bridges.
4. Psychophysiological Measurements and Human Factors
   Leveraging biometric insights and cognitive workload analytics to generate data-driven understanding of navigator performance in both simulated and operational environments.

Our research work is targeted for close integration into Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral levels in maritime education, ensuring that emerging knowledge directly strengthens competence development at all levels. At the same time, we actively seek collaborations with industry partners, universities, and shipping clusters, across the globe with the aim of creating a strong ecosystem where science, practice, and innovation reinforce one another.