For over 20 years, Shipdex has served shipbuilders, suppliers, software developers, and shipowners worldwide by offering a common language for structured technical data production, exchange and use. One of its greatest achievements has been its commitment to listening to all industry stakeholders and turning their practical needs into real-world digital solutions.

The Next Evolution: Viewer 4.1 – Empowering Data Integration and Workflow Customization

The new Shipdex Viewer 4.1 introduces a game-changing customization function: the ability for users to seamlessly assign their own functional codes — such as SFI, proprietary, or internal classification systems — to any component described in a Shipdex dataset. This long-requested feature provides a fast, convenient, and cost-effective way for software suppliers, shipowners, and managers to directly integrate Shipdex-compliant content into their technical databases and digital maintenance systems.

“With this new capability, together with the possibility to receive and collect data feedback in Shipdex format, we’re not just displaying data — we’re empowering maritime companies to transform it into smart, system-ready information,” said Marco Vatteroni, Secretary General of Shipdex. “This new Viewer function supports full digital integration across maintenance, procurement, and classification processes — and reflects Shipdex unwavering commitment to practical, user-driven innovation.”

Why Now? Shipdex Is the Digital Backbone for Smarter Shipping

The new Shipdex Viewer enhancement is not just another feature — it’s a strategic response to the maritime industry’s digitalization agenda. Companies that adopt Shipdex now position themselves for real competitive advantage, with:

• Standardized, machine-readable manuals that eliminate duplication and reduce risk
• Seamless integration into PMS, ERP, and inventory systems
• Faster onboarding of new equipment into fleet operations
• Lower costs and improved transparency throughout the lifecycle
• Support for IMO’s digital transformation goals

With Shipdex Viewer 4.1 and more suppliers joining the standard every month, Shipdex is quickly becoming the default language of maritime technical documentation.

• Get Started – Download the Shipdex Viewer 4.1, free-of-charge, at shipdex.org
• Need support? – Contact technical.manager@shipdex.org

The webinar, dedicated to “populating maintenance systems for newbuilds”, was a success, attracting a significant and qualified number of shipowners, manufacturers and IT companies. The high level of interest and active discussion among participants confirmed the relevance of the topic and the value of the initiative.

Summary of the Webinar content:

Marco Vatteroni, secretary general of Shipdex, did a quick recap of the scope of Shipdex and presented the latest version of Shipdex Viewer 4.1 to navigate and use technical data in Shipdex format. This has two new features: the ability to combine maintenance task data with maintenance data feedback, and the ability to automatically assign functional codes to every physical component before importing it into a Maintenance System or ERP.

The Shipdex Viewer 4.1 will be available for free download within February on www.shipdex.org.

 Capt. Eugen-Henning Adami, managing director of Mastermind Shipmanagement of Cyprus reported that they are building a 43,000 dwt multipurpose bulk carrier and a 1,300 TEU geared (crane) container vessel. To make it easier to put together the maintenance management system for the new vessels, Mastermind required the shipyard and vendors to provide all maintenance related data in Shipdex format.

Shipdex is an open standard based on the aviation and defence industry S1000D, an XML standard for publishing technical information about a product.

Capt. Adami presented the story of how it went and their expectations. Mastermind Shipmanagement develops new ship designs with yards in Japan and China.

 Henrik Dan Kaspersen, Shipdex executive member and Everllence Shipdex Competence Center, talked about the benefits of a closer collaboration among providers, customers and IT companies, facilitated by Shipdex as an open, maritime industry standard, seen from maker’s side.

Henrik also informed that

• Shipowners are entitled to free-of-charge Shipdex datasets for Everllence 2-stroke engine
• IT companies may receive free-of-charge Everllence Shipdex data sets for feasibility study of their electronic data interface to their Maintenance Systems or ERPs. Contact shipdex@everllence.com to initiate such study.

The webinar recording here:

For over 20 years, Shipdex has served shipbuilders, suppliers, software developers, and shipowners worldwide by offering a common language for structured technical data exchange. One of its greatest achievements has been its commitment to listening to all industry stakeholders and turning their practical needs into real-world digital solutions.

The Next Evolution: Viewer 4.1 – Empowering Data Integration and Workflow Customization

The upcoming Shipdex Viewer 4.1 introduces a game-changing customization function: the ability for users to seamlessly assign their own functional codes — such as SFI, proprietary, or internal classification systems — to any component described in a Shipdex dataset. This long-requested feature provides a fast, convenient, and cost-effective way for software suppliers, shipowners, and managers to directly integrate Shipdex-compliant content into their technical databases and digital maintenance systems.

“With this new capability, we’re not just displaying data — we’re empowering maritime companies to transform it into smart, system-ready information,” said Marco Vatteroni, Secretary General of Shipdex. “This new Viewer function supports full digital integration across maintenance, procurement, and classification processes — and reflects Shipdex’s unwavering commitment to practical, user-driven innovation.”

Real-World Adoption: Suppliers Deliver Shipdex-Compliant Data — Free of Charge

The benefits of Shipdex are no longer theoretical. A growing number of leading equipment manufacturers and system suppliers now offer Shipdex-compliant technical documentation free of charge, delivered automatically alongside their products. This development means that original maker data can be imported quickly, completely, and without manual error into the shipowner’s digital systems — eliminating delays, reformatting, and inconsistencies.

For shipowners and managers, this shift translates into immediate improvements in:

• Data quality and consistency
• Speed of system implementation
• Technical readiness of newbuilds and retrofits
• Compliance with ISM, IACS, and classification documentation standards

Why Now? Shipdex Is the Digital Backbone for Smarter Shipping

The new Viewer enhancement is not just another feature — it’s a strategic response to the maritime industry’s digitalization agenda. Companies that adopt Shipdex now position themselves for real competitive advantage, with:

• Standardized, machine-readable manuals that eliminate duplication and reduce risk
• Seamless integration into PMS, ERP, and inventory systems
• Faster onboarding of new equipment into fleet operations
• Lower costs and improved transparency throughout the lifecycle
• Support for IMO’s digital transformation goals

With Viewer 4.1 around the corner and more suppliers joining the standard every month, Shipdex is quickly becoming the default language of maritime technical documentation.

Get Started – Shipdex Viewer is Free to Download at   👉 www.shipdex.org

Shipdex (www.shipdex.org) proudly participated in the renowned EastMed Maritime Exhibition 2025, held in Limassol from March 23rd to 25th, where the growing relevance of standardized digital documentation took center stage. As Chairman of Shipdex, I had the privilege of presenting the latest developments of our protocol and engaging directly with a wide range of maritime equipment suppliers, shipowners, and technology providers. The exhibition provided an excellent platform to promote the value of Shipdex as the industry’s most effective solution for managing and distributing technical manuals in a structured, XML-based format.

The conversations held at EastMed 2025 reinforced what we already know: the maritime sector urgently needs a common standard to reduce the administrative burden of documentation, eliminate redundant data entries, and create a streamlined process for integrating supplier manuals into shipowners’ technical systems. Shipdex delivers exactly that.

Why Shipdex?

For equipment suppliers, Shipdex offers the following compelling benefits:

• Reduced Costs and Effort: By authoring content once in Shipdex format, suppliers can automatically deliver standardized, validated, and easily reusable documentation to multiple clients, saving time and translation costs. Information in Shipdex format can also be reused to produce SCORM compliant Computer Based Trainings.
• Improved Data Accuracy: The structured format of Shipdex significantly reduces errors and inconsistencies across documents, improving user confidence and operational safety.
• Increased Marketability: As more shipowners adopt Shipdex-based documentation systems, suppliers who can deliver manuals in Shipdex format are increasingly preferred.
• Digital Integration: Shipdex facilitates seamless integration with ship management systems (ERP, PMS, etc), enabling real-time access, updates, and smart search functions.
• Support for IMO Digitalization Goals: Shipdex aligns with the IMO’s broader objective of digitalization and data harmonization in shipping, making it a future-proof investment.

The enthusiastic feedback received at EastMed 2025 reflects the industry’s growing recognition that the time has come to move away from PDFs and unstructured formats toward structured, smart and standardized electronic content. Several key suppliers expressed strong interest in adopting Shipdex, especially in light of the increasing demand for automated lifecycle data management across vessel types and fleets.

We thank the organizers of EastMed 2025 for creating a professional, high-impact event that brought together thought leaders and innovators in the region. For Shipdex, the exhibition served as a key milestone in our mission to drive digital efficiency, standardization, and sustainability within maritime documentation.

Shipdex continues to invite suppliers, shipowners, and IT providers to join our growing community. By working together under a shared standard, we can achieve a smarter, safer, and more connected maritime industry.

Capt. Eugen-Henning Adami
Chairman, Shipdex

**

The message from Mr. Henrik Dan Kaspersen, MAN Energy Solutions’ Shipdex Competence Center Leader, and Executive Member of Shipdex since 2008

“Congratulations Capt. Adami on your excellent presentation of Shipdex, which has the power to replace the traditional paper/page-based feeding of the Shipowners’ and Ship managers’ planned-maintenance systems with a digital end-to-end process.

Shipowners and Ship managers are, via our Service Letter SL24-761, requesting free-of-charge datasets at scale for their two-stroke engines, to pursue the benefits of this digital process, thus proving the potential of this maritime standard.

Software companies are encouraged to use the contact details in the Service Letter to request free-of-charge demo datasets for feasibility study, or, alternatively request vessel specific datasets, in agreement with the Shipowner or Ship manager concerned”.

”The Shipdex Standard brings us together – Together we set standards”.

MAN Energy Solutions, Henrik Dan Kaspersen”

Shipdex-D (technical manuals) and Shipdex-F (in-service maintenance data feedback) are designed to work together and provide the following benefits:

• For manufacturers: the ability to provide customers with technical manuals (maintenance plans, catalogues and more) in a structured, standardized, and mandatory electronic format (Shipdex-D).
• For customers: the ability to import manufacturers’ data in Shipdex-D format into their ERP and Maintenance Systems, and to export in-service maintenance data feedback in Shipdex-F format.

Data in Shipdex-D and Shipdex-F formats can be merged into a database, providing customers and suppliers with a standardized way to analyse how, when, and what results are achieved when performing maintenance tasks onboard different ships.

The new Shipdex Viewer 4.0 (available free of charge on the homepage at www.shipdex.org) now includes a Proof of Concept that demonstrates the simplicity and potential of the aforementioned features, using a simple database embedded into the Viewer.

The following illustration shows one of the several features available in the PoC.

This illustration shows, among other important details, how many times (each row), when (execution time), which spare parts (and supply, etc.) have been used, and on which ship (IMO number) the same maintenance task (subject) on the same equipment (item name and item PN and SN) has been performed. Many other features are also available in Shipdex Viewer 4.0.

Download the Shipdex Viewer 4.0 from the home page.

The maritime industry took another leap forward in its digitalization journey during the fourth Shipdex Council meeting, held online on 14th January 2025. The event brought together both seasoned and new delegates from leading global companies who joined the Shipdex Council:

• MAN Energy Solutions
• Mastermind Shipmanagement
• YANMAR
• Shipdex Consulting
• G&C Consulting
• Oceanly
• Elicon Group
• Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (CMMI)
• IsselNord (a Fincantieri company)
• BLOM Maritime
• DAMEN Shipyard

Established to accelerate the adoption of Shipdex and its role in digital transformation, the Council comprises prominent industry figures who are united in leveraging standardization to support the maritime sector’s transition.

The Secretary General of Shipdex opened the session by welcoming the new members and providing a concise recap of the key principles and concepts of the Shipdex protocol. This was followed by a Proof of Concept (PoC) demonstration, highlighting the seamless integration of Shipdex-D (technical manuals) with Shipdex-F (in-service data feedback).

The PoC, presented using the new Shipdex Viewer, showcased the platform’s simplicity and potential. The Viewer, which is available free of charge on the Shipdex website (www.shipdex.org), will be updated with the PoC capabilities and made accessible for download by the end of January 2025. This marks a significant step in empowering stakeholders to adopt innovative digital solutions for technical and operational efficiency.

Discussions extended to the exploration of funding opportunities and strategies to engage additional key players in Shipdex’s mission of advancing standardization and digitalization. The collaborative efforts aim to drive innovation while supporting sustainability goals critical to the industry’s future.

The next Shipdex Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, 20th May 2025.

For further information on Shipdex and its initiatives, or to download the Viewer and experience the Proof of Concept (starting from February), visit www.shipdex.org.

MAN ES – Shipdex: Boosting digitalization in the maritime industry with free datasets.

MAN Energy Solutions offers a free Shipdex^TM dataset to build-up the digital maintenance structure for newbuildings with MAN Energy Solutions’ two-stroke engines.

With Shipdex^TM, you can transfer digital information directly from OEMs and into owners’ planned maintenance systems (PMS), see Fig. 1.

Thereby, a digital database can be generated without the need to re-engineer the product knowledge of the OEM. This cuts time and efforts, provides uniform data quality, and ensures the most precise product information.

As a founding member of www.shipdex.org, MAN Energy Solutions has keenly contributed to developing and implementing the non-proprietary standard Shipdex^TM to support the comprehensive digitalisation of the maritime industry.

“Digitalisation impacts all industries, and the scale, rate, and speed of implementation depends to a large degree on the availability of standardisation,” says Bjarne Foldager, Head of Two-Stroke Business. “We are demonstrating our strong commitment to digitalisation by delivering large volumes of data according to the non-proprietary Shipdex standard – a core enabler of digitalisation in the maritime industry.”

The dataset will be available around the test bed date of the engine/first engine in a series, and enable a build-up of the PMS maintenance structure digitally, see Fig. 2.

Already ordered newbuildings which have not yet passed, or have only recently passed, the mentioned test bed are also entitled to a dataset.

Shipowners are encouraged to request the dataset free of charge at shipdex@man-es.com.

If you have any questions, or wish to receive further information, contact us at henrikd.kaspersen@man-es.com.

Fig. 1: Replacing traditional pages by a digital data flow from the OEM to the owners’ dynamic planned maintenance system

Fig. 2 shows the data structure in the free ‘Shipdex Viewer’, which is available with demo packages on https://ww2.shipdex.org/shipdex-viewer/

Fig. 2: Data structure in Shipdex Viewer

Reference: MAN Energy Solutions Service Letter SL2024-761/HDK

The Shipdex Council, established as a strategic advisory entity, aims to provide invaluable insights, guidance, and recommendations crucial to the advancement of the Shipdex Protocol. Comprising six Shipdex executive members and open to all marine and maritime companies and organizations committed to fostering greener and safer practices within the industry, the council signifies a significant step towards standardization and collaboration.

“The Shipdex organization is committed to continuously improving the Shipdex Protocol, incorporating feedback from the marine and maritime community,” stated Capt. Adami, Shipdex Chairman and CEO of Mastermind Shipmanagement. “Through the creation of the Shipdex Council, we aim to streamline information sharing, enhance maintenance practices, and promote data-driven safety analysis to contribute to the greening and safety of the marine and maritime sector.” Stated Marco Vatteroni, Secretary General and Technical Manager at Shipdex.

During the inaugural meeting, participants engaged in discussions on various topics, including the challenges and opportunities associated with Shipdex adoption, the role of Shipdex in digitalization and condition-based maintenance, and the potential for Shipdex to support initiatives such as ‘Digital Twin’ technology and computer-based training.

Members of the Shipdex Council include leading entities in the marine and maritime sector, including Shipdex Executive and Registered Members (see below) as well as personalities and “influencers” in the maritime industry. The diverse membership underscores the council’s commitment to representing the interests of stakeholders across the industry.

The Members of the Shipdex Council have unanimously decided to conduct meetings under the Chatham House Rules. This approach allows individual participants to freely express themselves without restrictions, fostering an environment where discussions can delve deeply into core problems and solutions.

The Shipdex Council will convene online, at least every quarter to continue discussions, address challenges, and drive initiatives aimed at advancing standardization and sustainability in the marine and maritime sector.

To learn more about the Shipdex Council and to request membership please contact Mr. Marco Vatteroni, Shipdex Secretary General, at team@shipdex.org.

Present Executive and Registered members of Shipdex who have joined the Shipdex Council: MASTERMIND SHIPMANAGEMENT, MAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS, YANMAR, WINTERTHUR GAS AND DIESEL, G&C SHIPPING, SHIPDEX CONSULTING, OCEANLY, ELICON GROUP, CYPRUS MARINE and MARITIME INSTITUTE, ISSELNORD (a Fincantieri company), BLOM Maritime.

CSN ICT Conference in Athens Witnesses Key Insights from Shipdex Delegates

Shipdex, a leading player in maritime protocol standards, made a significant mark at the recent CSN ICT Conference held in Athens. The conference, themed “Exploring the Digital Frontier: Bridging Theory and Practicality in Maritime Technology”, brought together prominent industry experts (shipowners, shipyards, equipment suppliers, classification societies etc.) discussing into the operational aspects shaping the future of the shipping sector.

Shipdex was notably represented by Marco Vatteroni, Shipdex Secretary General and Technical Manager, who summarized the Shipdex protocol principles and participated on Artificial Intelligence panel and by Henrik Dan Kaspersen, MAN Energy Solutions’ Shipdex Competence Center Leader and Board Member of Shipdex, who showed how MAN Energy Solutions intensively produces data in Shipdex format for their customers.

The conference served as a platform for robust discussions on the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the maritime domain, with a specific focus on the evolution of Shipdex protocol. Shipdex, at the forefront of advancing maritime technology standards, provided key insights into the role of AI in shaping the future of the industry.

Key Highlights of Shipdex Participation.

Exploration of Digital Frontiers: Shipdex delegates actively engaged in discussions that aimed to bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and practical applications of emerging technologies in the maritime sector.

Role of Artificial Intelligence: Insights were shared on how AI is revolutionizing the maritime landscape, impacting shipowners, ship managers, service providers, and equipment manufacturers.

Operational Impacts: Discussions revolved around the operational aspects influencing the shipping sector and how technological advancements, including Shipdex protocols, are driving efficiency and innovation.

Marco Vatteroni, Shipdex Secretary General and Technical Manager, expressed, “It’s an exciting time for the maritime industry as we witness the convergence of cutting-edge technologies. Shipdex is committed to driving standards and protocols that will shape the future of maritime operations.”

Henrik Dan Kaspersen, MAN Energy Solutions’ Shipdex Competence Center Leader and Board Member of Shipdex, commented, “Our participation in the CSN ICT Conference underscores the importance of collaborative discussions. The maritime industry is at the cusp of transformative change, and forums like these provide valuable insights into the practical applications of emerging technologies.”

To see all the presentations, pictures, videos and podcasts: 2nd Greece Shipping ICT Conference – Cyprus Shipping Events

Limassol, 19^th December 2023

Data permeates every facet of ship and fleet management. From routes and fuel consumption to equipment, spare parts, work orders, and certificates, data forms the foundation of critical decision-making processes. Compliance reports, financial analysis, and operational planning rely on accurate and reliable data. Regardless of the software used, the quality of the underlying data takes precedence.

Software is being unfairly blamed for problems stemming from flawed data. Even seemingly minor discrepancies in data representation, such as abbreviations or language variations, can lead to significant errors. A computer system might interpret M.E. and M.H. as distinct components, causing confusion in spare part orders and maintenance procedures. Insurance issues, operational disruptions, and safety concerns can arise from incorrect data. It is clear that data quality is paramount.  Creating a comprehensive and accurate database has historically been a resource-intensive task. Investments of time and funds were required to ensure data was properly structured. However, despite technological advancements, many shipping companies continue to neglect data management. Manual data entry from technical manuals and disparate formats persists, hindering the efficiency of operations and maintenance.

The aviation and defence industry provides a shining example of how data-driven practices can revolutionize an industry. By emphasizing precise information, standardizing technical manuals, work procedures, and information systems, they achieved comprehensive digitalization. We can draw inspiration from their approach and apply it to the shipping industry.

Undeniably, digitization alone is an incomplete catalyst for true digital transformation. The conversion of documents into PDFs or furnishing Excel spreadsheets for data entry scarcely scratches the surface. To realize the formidable potential of digitalization, precise and standardized data collection is pivotal. This mandate extends to the development of digital interfaces and the eradication of manual data input errors. The core of digitalization is accurate data and standardized practices.

 Rasmus Gade Hansen, Head of Projects at SERTICA by RINA, confirms: “As a software company, we are met by many customers who have an ambition to use software to improve their business. We aim to supply software that covers the needs and requirements of the customer, and helps them improve. More and more customers realize that to get the most benefit from software solutions, they have to have high quality data. The combination of a good software product, and good data, highly increases the benefits that the customers gain from their solutions. Often companies tend to focus on the software, and might forget the importance of having quality data. We see a standardized way of exchanging data, as a key driver for the distribution of quality data. If all suppliers/manufacturers make up their own formats, it will always require a lot of work for customers to integrate the data into their solutions”.

Rasmus Gade Hansen continues: “Shipdex offers this kind of standardization, and that is why we support it, and have enabled exchange of it directly into SERTICA. When building the Shipdex integration in our platform, we tried to make it as easy as possible for customers to import their datasets. This speeds up the implementation process of the platform, as there is no cumbersome manual work in manually trying to setup the equipment data. The Shipdex standard offers clear definitions and descriptions, and implementing the interface into SERTICA went according to plan. Today, a customer can receive a Shipdex dataset, and import it directly into Sertica, with no involvement from us. We see that as effective.”

 Marco Vatteroni, SHIPDEX co-founder and technical manager, emphasizes “I developed the Shipdex Protocol during my tenure as the Shipdex technical manager and I was responsible for creating, maintaining, and enhancing the Protocol. During the same period, I worked for a very important CMMS provider and I designed a robust and powerful software application capable of identifying and comprehending data formatted in Shipdex. This application was also able to import selected data into a CMMS database. The application (interface) was effectively utilized to create CMMS databases for some specific ship-owners.”

Shipdex ensures that the data collected is uniform and follows standardized practices. This uniformity enhances interoperability between different software systems and applications, facilitating seamless data exchange and integration. By eliminating the need for data reconciliation or data conversion efforts, software developers can focus on creating value-added solutions and leveraging data-driven insights to enhance efficiency and performance.

Shipdex’s non-proprietary nature and its protocols make it a reliable resource for software developers. It transcends individual company affiliations and focuses on providing the maritime industry with a common framework for collecting and utilizing high-quality, standardized data.

With the increasing connectivity and a drive for operational efficiency, reliability, and compliance, the maritime industry is investing heavily in maintenance and IT systems. However, software alone is not enough to achieve the desired outcomes. Software developers, like any other responsible maritime stakeholder, must advocate for the value of correct data and embrace Shipdex as the maritime protocol, in their own interest and the interest of the maritime sector.

To achieve true digitalization in the shipping industry, data standardization is paramount. Standardized and structured data will enable remote monitoring, machine learning, software control, and business intelligence. Software developers must advocate for and contribute to data standardization efforts.

Software developers have a pivotal role in the digital transformation of the shipping industry. They can greatly benefit from adopting Shipdex, as its primary advantage lies in its ability to streamline the collection of data directly from manufacturers. This direct import mechanism replaces time-consuming and error-prone manual processes that often result in incomplete, non-uniform, or incorrect information. By bypassing these challenges, software developers can work with a robust and comprehensive dataset, enabling accurate planning, precise maintenance schedules, and efficient resource management.

22^nd of August 2023