Holistic risk assessment approach for seafarers’ adaptation to digital transformation

Abstract

The maritime industry is experiencing a significant digital transformation that brings both opportunities and challenges for seafarers. This study presents a holistic risk assessment for seafarers’ adaptation to digital transformation using an integrated methodology that combines Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA), Dempster–Shafer (D-S) evidence theory, and a rule-based Bayesian network (RBN). The approach identifies and quantifies twenty-two failure modes across five critical components: human-related, technological, operational, organizational & regulatory, and cybersecurity. The findings reveal that operational failures and human-related failures are the most critical components, with “over-reliance on digitalization” being the highest-risk failure mode. Other significant failure modes include “insufficient digital competency and skill gaps” and “inadequate cybersecurity awareness and training.” Consequently, the study offers short and long-term actions to mitigate risks and provides valuable insights for effective human-technology interaction.