Nick and Raal are joined by maritime veteran Steen Lund, CEO of RightShip, to explore how one of shipping’s most influential maritime supply chain risk management digital platforms and standards organisations is evolving as technology reshapes the maritime industry.

Steen reflects on his wealth of experience through nearly four decades in shipping, from Maersk and global operational roles to leading RightShip through a period of significant transformation. Over the past five years the organisation has been moving beyond its traditional roots in vessel inspections and vetting to become a technology-led platform focused on safety, sustainability and transparency across the maritime supply chain- with the ambition of raising collective standards towards zero harm.

The conversation looks at how RightShip has brought product development in-house, enabling closer collaboration between maritime experts and technologists, and accelerating the development of digital and AI-enabled tools for maritime risk intelligence.

They also discuss the future of vessel inspections. With thousands of ships inspected each year, RightShip is exploring how digital data from vessels could complement or replace parts of traditional inspections, reducing time onboard while improving insight sharing across the industry.

The discussion concludes on the role of industry standards and seafarer welfare, including how frameworks like RISQ are helping raise safety baselines and why improving transparency around crew welfare is becoming a growing focus for charterers and ship operators alike.

Chapters

00:00 Steen Lund’s maritime journey and career path
08:55 What RightShip is today and why it exists
16:10 Transforming from services to a technology platform
20:23 Bringing product development in-house
27:30 Managing internal and customer adoption of new technology
31:30 The future of vessel inspections and digital verification
36:20 RISQ and raising safety standards across shipping
45:40 Measuring and improving seafarer welfare
57:17 Permira investment and RightShip’s growth strategy
01:01:20 What’s next for RightShip and maritime AI

Links:

Join the priority list to get full acess to the Digital Ship summit agenda: https://thedigitalship.com/summit/

This week on UnDocked, Nick and Raal examine escalating risks to shipping in the Gulf, the market forces driving record tanker rates, and the tension between profit and seafarer safety. They also pay tribute to industry leader David Dearsley, the first Secretary General of the International Maritime Employers’ Council and his legacy of transforming seafarer rights, welfare and as a key architect of the Maritime Labour Convention. The launch of the Korean Registry’s new software hub sparks a discussion class societies entering the software race. The duo discuss a new maritime venture investment fund with a timely purpose and wind up asking whether anti-acid tablets for the ocean is a geo-engineering step too far.

Chapters

00:00 – Opening and the week in maritime

Conflict around the Gulf intensifies, with merchant ships hit and security risks rising.

02:00 – Crew mobility disruption

Flight disruptions and soaring travel costs complicate crew changes across Middle East hubs.

04:00 – Seafarers’ perspective in the news

Connectivity at sea is allowing seafarers to share frontline experiences during crises.

07:00 – Tanker markets surge

VLCC rates spike dramatically as geopolitical risk and supply constraints collide.

12:00 – The economics of tanker deployment

Why shipping supply is relatively fixed and how positioning vessels affects the market.

15:00 – Tribute: David Dearsley

Remembering the architect of key global seafarer welfare frameworks and the Maritime Labour Convention.

30:00 – Class societies enter the software race

The Korean Registry launches a new software hub, signalling deeper digital competition.

43:00 – Maritime venture capital

Mare Liberum’s new fund backs technologies supporting free trade and maritime security.

53:00 – Climate experiments at sea

Geoengineering ideas, ballast water lessons, and the unintended consequences of regulation.

57:30 – Wrap-up

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In this episode, Nick Chubb and Raal Harris dig into the findings of a new Thetius research report commissioned by Marcura, which shows that while 81% of maritime organisations are piloting AI, only 11% have policies in place, and just 23% are training their people. They debate whether AI deserves its own strategy or should simply sit inside a broader technology plan, with Nick introducing the Thetius ADAPT framework as a way for leaders to cut through the hype and move beyond “pilot purgatory.”

They then turn to OrbitMI’s back-to-back acquisitions of Auqub and Galeforce, exploring why pairing agentic AI software with a traditional weather routing advisory business could be a smart hybrid play. The discussion unpacks how human expertise and automated platforms can coexist, and why trust and verification matter more in AI-driven systems than in traditional SaaS.

A major cyberattack on Iran’s shipping industry prompts a conversation on satcom vulnerabilities, IT/OT segregation, and why drills and resilience testing need to become the norm. From there, Nick and Raal dive into the human side of maritime, discussing seafarer isolation in the digital age, the double-edged sword of connectivity, and the undervalued role of emotional intelligence in crew management and leadership.

Looking ahead to London International Shipping Week, they share what’s on their agendas — from the Thetius Top 150 launch to panels on digitalisation, AI, and decarbonisation. They also highlight Marine Media Enterprises’ new Donate & Train initiative, blending e-learning with charitable giving.

To wrap up, a light-hearted debate over Elon Musk’s latest venture — “Macro Hard,” an AI-driven challenger to Microsoft — sparks reflections on branding, competition, and whether the tech billionaire can really pull it off.

Download the Thetius "Beyond the Hype" Report here.