You do not need me to remind you that we are surrounded by innovative, marine sector tech on all fronts, racing ahead and burgeoning, seemingly at a pace I can’t recall at any point in my lifetime. And as one gets older (rather like me these days), it is easy to turn a blind eye to what’s happening, and to plough on with what we know, accepting the norm, hoping it will all just go away. But of course, it doesn’t, so we must try and embrace what’s new and cope with the inevitable change and resulting disruption to our lives it brings.
For younger and less experienced marine surveyors, I’d suggest ignoring what is going on around them right now is dangerous, and creates knowledge voids and potential pitfalls as vessel design, hull materials, alternative fuels and evolving propulsion systems (to name but a few), present new challenges as well as opportunities. The importance of learning and continuous professional development has never been more critical.
This leads me nicely on to mention the CES (Consumer Electronics Show), which claims to be the most powerful tech event in the world. It was held at Las Vegas from 6-9 January. So, what’s that got to do with the maritime sector, you may well ask? I have ignored this event in previous years, but it is clear that some of the industry’s movers and shakers have not. It offers an entirely different backdrop to a traditional boat show and opens up a new audience.
US based Brunswick Corporation operates at a scale that few companies in boating can ever hope to compete with. It is the world’s largest marine technology company, spanning propulsion, electronics, boatbuilding, parts, accessories, and digital services.
By attending CES, Brunswick has placed boating into the broader technology conversation rather than treating it as a niche leisure market. The company returned to last month’s event with its largest marine exhibit to date. Rather than focusing on a single headline product, the company’s ACES approach is appearing in boats that are either in production now or close to it. ACES stands for Autonomous or Assisted, Connected, Electrified, and Shared boating. At CES 2026, the emphasis was on showcasing exactly how those ideas translate into hardware and software that are already finding their way into real boats.
John Kelley, Consumer Technology Association vice president and CES show director, said, “We have certainly seen the continued evolution of boating into a technology-driven sector at CES®. The show brings together the mobility ecosystem across air, land and sea, and that convergence is creating more opportunities for marine companies to meet partners, compare solutions and bring new ideas to market.”
Fascinating!
In late December, I had the privilege of joining a group of surveyors in Plymouth UK, an event organised by local member Nick Healey, on what turned out to be a foul and stormy evening weather-wise. The sole topic for discussion that night was lithium-ion batteries, and the challenges they present to a surveyor – the most talked about subject of last year. We were joined by Simon Firth from locally based Pantaenius Insurance, who gave a glimpse into the concerns and issues this technology is presenting for the insurance industry.
On the subject of lithium-ion batteries, we have now sold a number of units from the newly launched lithium battery course we developed in conjunction with David and Magda O’Neill last year – and the feedback is positive. If you have yet to check out this essential four-module course, which offers 10-12 hours of expert tuition on the subject, please click here.
And finally, I have just returned from a short trip to co-host the annual IIMS Baltimore Conference alongside members James ‘Randy’ Renn and Ray Bracken, held at the MITAGS facility on the outskirts of the city. It is always a pleasure to spend time with member surveyors (and non-members) in the US. As always, the range of topics was far-reaching and provoked much discussion. My thanks to James and Ray for organising a great and inspirational speaker lineup, and to all those who attended either in-person or virtually.
Survey well.
Mike Schwarz