Lloyd’s Register adds AI maturity test for maritime operators

Assessment covers governance, workforce, data, and AI applications across ship operations.

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has expanded its Digital Maturity Index (DMI) with a new artificial intelligence (AI) maturity assessment to help shipowners and operators gauge whether their governance, workforce, and data capabilities are ready for wider AI adoption.

The enhanced DMI process, unveiled at Smart Maritime Network Singapore 2026, also covers sector-specific digital use cases. The DMI has surpassed 100 participating organisations.

The assessment evaluates the foundations for AI adoption, including governance, workforce training, organisational culture, data readiness, and performance measurement.

It also examines AI applications in ship operations, including crew management, trade execution, vessel technical management, and commercial functions.

The assessment is designed to identify whether organisations have the people, processes and data infrastructure needed to support AI-driven decision-making, and operational improvement, as well as industry expectations, opportunities, and barriers to implementation.

“Across the industry, we're seeing organisations move beyond AI curiosity and into practical implementation,” said Eleanna Apostolidi, head of DMI Product Innovation at LR.

Companies are investing in AI before fully understanding whether their governance, data, and internal capabilities are ready to support it, Apostolidi said.

Alongside the AI assessment, LR has introduced gas-sector-specific use cases to help liquefied natural gas (LNG) operators benchmark the application of digital technologies against operational challenges.

This includes boil-off gas management, sloshing risk, LNG cargo ageing prediction, rollover prevention, pump tripping, tank maintenance optimisation, and brittle fracture monitoring.

The classification society said the additions reflect “growing interest” in how analytics, automation, IoT, and digital twins can support safer, more efficient and data-driven LNG operations.

“For LNG operators, digital transformation needs to be grounded in the operational realities of gas shipping,” said Constantinos Chaelis, gas segment director at LR.

The latest enhancements build on LR’s Digital Transformation Research Programme and support the industry's transition towards increasingly connected and intelligent operations.