For shipowners, improving vessel efficiency is only part of the challenge. Understanding whether a voyage decision, operational change or energy-saving measure is actually delivering the expected result requires reliable performance data — and the ability to interpret it in the context of real vessel operations.
That need is becoming more important as shipping companies look for practical ways to reduce fuel consumption, improve operational performance and respond to tightening environmental expectations.
As part of RightShip’s Zero Harm Innovation Partners Program, ERMA FIRST is contributing to this shift through the digital capabilities of METIS Cyberspace Technology. METIS has been part of the ERMA FIRST group since 2019, combining digital fleet-performance expertise with ERMA FIRST’s wider maritime environmental technology capabilities.
Since joining the Zero Harm Innovation Partners Program, the METIS platform has continued to expand, with new capabilities designed to help shipping companies better understand and optimise vessel performance.
A key area of development has been improving the quality and transparency of the data behind those decisions. Enhanced Data Visibility provides a vessel-centric view of data quality and telemetry health, helping users identify and resolve issues before relying on that information for operational analysis.
METIS has also introduced Voyage Planning capabilities that allow users to design and optimise single-leg routes around operational, commercial or compliance objectives. Enhanced Performance Analytics now supports comparisons following dry-docking events and against Charter Party speed and fuel-consumption commitments.
Together, these capabilities are designed to help operators move from simply monitoring performance to understanding where efficiency can be improved and whether interventions are delivering the expected result.
As fleet-performance management becomes more data-driven, speed of interpretation is becoming increasingly important.
METIS has introduced specialised AI agents that analyse onboard data, platform-generated KPIs and third-party information such as ERP systems, manually recorded events and weather data. The AI then produces insights and recommendations that would traditionally require significant manual analysis from performance managers, superintendents or analysts.
Each recommendation is accompanied by a confidence score, giving users additional context when assessing the result. This helps position AI as a tool to support human expertise rather than replace it.
Enhanced alerting also supports more proactive vessel management. Users can define alerts around operational conditions such as diesel-generator use, sea margin, fuel selection within Emission Control Areas or weather conditions that may indicate a need for route optimisation.
The common thread is practical: using performance data to help maritime teams identify opportunities earlier and act with greater confidence.
The value of fleet-performance intelligence becomes particularly clear when operators need to assess whether an energy-saving intervention is working.
One METIS case study compared two sister bulk carriers of identical design that underwent dry docking within a few months of one another. One vessel was fitted with a specific propeller cap, while the other continued operating without it.
High-frequency sensor data collected through the METIS Data Acquisition System was analysed using the METIS platform and validated according to ISO 19030 standards.
Across the scenarios assessed, the vessel fitted with the propeller cap demonstrated lower propeller torque demand, with improvements in torque coefficient consistently above 2.3%, translating directly into power savings.
Depending on the weather-filtering scenario, the analysis indicated annualised fuel savings of approximately 125 to 290 tonnes, with estimated annual cost savings of around US$82,500 to US$187,500 based on prevailing bunker prices. Lower fuel consumption also translated into reduced CO₂ emissions.
The example shows how performance data can help shipping companies move beyond assumptions and quantify the real-world impact of efficiency measures under operating conditions.
METIS currently serves 51 shipping companies, with more than 410 vessels actively using its platform and services. More than 100 additional contracted vessels are in the onboarding pipeline.
Operating at that scale also brings challenges. Different fleets can contain a wide range of onboard systems, third-party applications and manual processes, making data quality, consistency and interoperability difficult to manage.
METIS has responded by strengthening its data-management capabilities and investing further in areas including artificial intelligence and data engineering. Its development approach is also shaped by ongoing engagement with shipowners, operators and maritime professionals, helping ensure that new capabilities remain connected to practical operational needs.
This is particularly important as regulatory requirements, decarbonisation priorities and operational expectations continue to evolve.
The direction of travel is increasingly clear: maritime digitalisation is moving from data collection towards trusted, actionable intelligence that can support better vessel performance.
For ERMA FIRST and METIS, this means helping operators evaluate efficiency measures, optimise voyages, understand vessel performance and reduce unnecessary fuel consumption and emissions.
It also supports a wider shift towards more proactive operations. By combining real-time vessel data with analytics, AI, weather intelligence and operational context, shipping companies can increasingly identify performance issues earlier rather than reacting after the fact.
This aligns naturally with the ambition behind RightShip’s Zero Harm Innovation Partners Program. Safer, more sustainable and more responsible maritime operations depend not only on new technologies, but on the ability to understand how they perform and where they can deliver measurable value.
Looking ahead, METIS sees growing opportunities in AI, data interoperability and predictive operations, particularly as the industry evaluates new energy-saving technologies, alternative fuels and increasingly complex regulatory requirements.
For the Zero Harm ambition, the opportunity is straightforward: better fleet-performance insight can help maritime teams make better-informed decisions — improving efficiency today while supporting more sustainable vessel operations over the long term.
If your innovation has the potential to redefine the maritime industry, we invite you to submit your application and become part of a global movement towards a safer, greener future.