On January 8, 2026, the Global Maritime Forum released a pivotal report titled “The human side of operational efficiency in shipping,” highlighting that operational efficiency is critical for enhancing fuel savings, resilience, and decarbonisation within the maritime sector. Despite its importance, many companies only realize a fraction of their potential value in this area. The report emphasizes that the barriers preventing more efficient voyages are primarily systemic rather than technical.
Key issues identified include leadership challenges, organizational culture, and misaligned incentive structures, all of which perpetuate inefficient behaviors throughout the maritime value chain. As a result, the adoption of cost-effective operational improvements is hindered.
The insights stem from an interactive workshop held in Copenhagen in November 2025, attended by various industry stakeholders. The session aimed to dissect how commercial structures, decision-making processes, and performance metrics influence daily operations within the sector. Participants engaged in facilitated discussions and a unique voyage simulation game, revealing that stakeholders often prioritize local incentives over broader efficiency gains, leading to defensive actions and decision delays.
A significant finding from the workshop was the detrimental effect of siloed decision-making and fragmented Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These structures encouraged individual certainty at the expense of collective optimization. However, when the focus shifted to aligning incentives with shared outcomes, participants displayed markedly different behaviors. Information sharing improved, decisions became more proactive, and optimization efforts transitioned from individual organizations to a collaborative approach across the group.
To enhance operational efficiency on a larger scale, the report outlines three essential enablers:
- Clear Strategic Alignment: Establishing a unified vision and objectives within organizations.
- Stronger Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Encouraging different departments to work together effectively towards common goals.
- Deeper Collaboration Across the Maritime Value Chain: Fostering partnerships and alignment among all stakeholders for holistic improvements.
These findings underscore that the challenges hindering operational efficiency in shipping are primarily human and organizational rather than technical. By addressing the cultural and structural barriers, the maritime sector can unlock significant potential for operational improvements, thereby enhancing sustainability and resilience in the industry.
