The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), Lloyd’s Register OneOcean (LROO) and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) of the Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation signed a landmark joint Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
The agreement outlines the collaboration on a pilot project to explore the integration of seafarer certification systems and to develop a new mobile application.
Signed at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) headquarters in London, UK, the initiative aims to reduce administrative burdens associated with paper-based seafarer endorsement and verification, while ensuring efficiency for key stakeholders in the industry, including flag Administrations, Port State Control, seafarers and shipping and ship management companies.
ICS Secretary General Guy Platten commented: “At the International Chamber of Shipping we are excited to be moving forward with this pilot project. The world is changing and in support of the digital transition we believe this is the imperative next step to support the entire sector with a new solution that will not only minimise administrative burden but maximise efficiency for a safe and sustainable industry.”
The purpose of this pilot is to test the feasibility of a system where all seafarer certificates can be securely stored and consolidated, allowing real-time access for all key stakeholders. This is also expected to allow seafarers to take ownership of their data and control how it is used, with the system facilitating travel and movement for the benefit of the entire industry.
Significantly, the objectives of this collaboration align with recent amendments to the STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) code that came into effect on 1 January 2025.
The new MoU sets out the collaboration between the three parties on the pilot project to evaluate the technical and regulatory framework needed for a global digital certification system. ICS, LROO and MARINA will develop an initial API (Application Programming Interface) integration concept to explore linking MARINA’s Integrated Seafarers Management Online System (MISMO) to the pilot platform.
Upon successful validation of the concept, MARINA will engage with its seafarer community—approximately 400,000 Filipino seafarers—to gather insights on digital certification needs and potential adoption pathways.
