We have developed a solution that allows the master to only type in all the required information related to port clearance one time. The master of a ship should focus on managing the ship and navigating safely. He should not be using his valuable time repeating the same administrative paperwork over and over again,says Anastasios Papagiannopoulos, BIMCO President and CEO of dry bulk shipping company Common Progress. 

The MRM was developed as part of the EU-funded EfficienSea2 program, which was led by the Danish Maritime Authority. The overall program has its closing conference in Copenhagen 5 April and 6 April.

The prototype solution aims at standardising communication between ships and shore. The key to the solution is making sure that each of the different types of information a ship needs to share are associated with a unique name – a tag – that software developers must use.

Using a global standard for tagging information – such as the ship’s name or the number of crew onboard – software systems can make sure that the information transmitted by the ship always ends up in the correct ‘box´ at the receiving end, no matter who the recipient is. In more technical terms, it is a harmonization of data models used by maritime stakeholders. 

In tests the BIMCO MRM e-solution can reduce the administrative workload in connection with port calls by up to 80%.

Reduction of administrative burdens for the seafarers is one of my key focus areas in BIMCO, and I’m very pleased that we have delivered a successful step in this direction,says Papagiannopoulos.

The next challenge for the MRM project is to get the entire industry to use this standard. To achieve that goal, ship-owners and ports must require their software developers to use this new standard for data modelling – in particular, when identifying data elements.

Support at IMO

We have proved that the MRM works and is suitable for being rolled out across the shipping and ports industries. I hope that we can work with IMO to establish a successful maritime single window environment with this model at the heart of it,says Aron F. Sørensen, BIMCO Head of Maritime Technology and Regulation.

The solution is available via the Maritime Connectivity Platform (MCP). BIMCO is pleased to see that several IMO member states have indicated significant support, and that the MRM will be on the agenda for the June 2018 IMO meeting.

Sørensen hopes that ship owners and port authorities will demand that their software developers use the solution, which in turn will push national bodies to implement the MRM – including the unique tags.

-ENDS-

For further information about the Maritime Reporting Model, please contact:

Aron Frank Sørensen
BIMCO Head of Maritime Technology and Regulation
 +45 2913 1768

Or write to pr@bimco.org

For more information about the EfficienSea2 project, please visit efficiensea2.org or contact Esben Pejstrup-Pedersen at the Danish Maritime Authority: epp@dma.dk

About BIMCO

BIMCO is the world's largest international shipping association, with around 2,000 members in more than 120 countries. Our global membership includes shipowners, operators, managers, brokers and agents. Our vision is to be the chosen partner trusted to provide leadership to the global industry. Our mission is to provide expert knowledge and practical advice to safeguard and add value to our members' businesses.

BIMCO's four core service areas provide value and trusted support to our members: 

1. Our products include BIMCO's world leading standard contracts and clauses for the shipping industry and our contract editor IDEA. We also run the BIMCO Shipping KPI System which can be used to benchmark ships' operational performance. 
2. Regulation: BIMCO takes an active role on behalf of shipowners during discussions and decisions with global and regional regulators. We work towards a level playing field for shipping – including fair trade and open access to markets.
3. Information and advice: we deal with 10,000 member queries every year on many issues and see over three million page views on our website each year. Our staff share their expert knowledge with members, giving practical advice to safeguard and add value to their businesses.
4. Our training activities include face-to-face courses, eLearning, webinars and tailor-made courses for companies.