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The MASS Code is live. The hard part isn't the ship, it's the shore.

2 days ago
3 min read

Since 1 July 2026, autonomous and remotely operated cargo ships have a global rulebook. Read closely, most of it is about software, connectivity and people on land.


An operator in a remote operations centre watching camera feeds and an electronic chart of a cargo ship at night

For a decade, autonomous shipping lived in pilot projects and press releases. In May 2026, at its 111th session, the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee adopted the International Code of Safety for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships, the MASS Code. It took effect on 1 July.


The headline is the ship. The detail is the shore.


What the code actually says

  • It is non-mandatory for now. Flag states can use it while the IMO gathers experience.

  • It covers cargo ships under SOLAS. Passenger ships are out of scope.

  • It is goal-based. It sets outcomes for navigation, connectivity, remote operations, fire safety and search and rescue, rather than prescribing equipment.

  • It puts weight on risk assessment, robust system design, cyber security and the integration of Remote Operations Centres.

  • The master keeps overall responsibility for the ship at all times, even when not on board.


The timeline owners should plan against

In December 2026, MSC 112 is due to set up the framework for an experience-building phase. Work on a mandatory code follows from 2028, with adoption expected by 1 July 2030 and entry into force on 1 January 2032.


Six years sounds like a long runway. It is not, when you consider that a ship ordered in 2027 will still be trading in 2045, and that the data you collect during the experience-building phase is what will shape the binding rules.


Why this is a software problem

Strip away the hardware and the code describes a set of digital capabilities. A Remote Operations Centre is software: video and sensor feeds, alarms, decision support, logs and handover tools. Connectivity is a design question with failover, bandwidth and latency trade-offs. Cyber security is no longer an IT policy. It is a safety system.


The human element runs through all of it. The industry is clear about where it stands. In a 2026 Thetius and Marcura survey, 70% of maritime professionals said they want AI to recommend actions while humans make the final decision. The MASS Code writes that instinct into the rules by keeping the master accountable.


What to build first?

  • You do not need an autonomous ship to start. Most of the groundwork pays off on a conventional fleet today.

  • A data backbone. Sensor, engine and navigation data streamed ashore, time-stamped and stored in a form an auditor or flag state could read.

  • A shore operations layer. Even without remote control, a centre that monitors, alerts and advises is the first step towards a ROC.

  • Connectivity planning. Map coverage, failover and what happens to operations when the link drops.

  • Cyber by design. IACS unified requirements E26 and E27 already apply to ships contracted for construction from 1 July 2024. Build to them across the fleet, not just the newbuilds.


The takeaway

The MASS Code does not ask owners to remove crews tomorrow. It asks them to prove that the systems on land and at sea are safe, connected and accountable. That proof is built in software, one data stream at a time.

vi-tech designs and builds that software, from data platforms to operations dashboards, with maritime operators who know what a bridge watch actually involves.

 
 
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