Adapting High Reliability Management Framework for Enhancing Resilience in Autonomous Ships

The increased integration of autonomous systems in maritime operations has advanced ship technology, but it also introduces new challenges for ensuring their safety and reliability. To address these challenges, this study explores the application of the High Reliability Management (HRM) framework. Rather than attempting to eliminate risks, HRM emphasizes maintaining reliable operations by continuously expanding and updating risk models to stay adaptive, even in the face of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. An important aspect of HRM is its emphasis on the essential role of human operators in maintaining system safety through their ability to detect, interpret, and respond to emerging issues. Within HRM, resilience characteristics are essential as they reflect a system's capacity to adapt, recover, and maintain functionality under unexpected disruptions, often relying on the operators' expertise and decision-making capabilities to implement these characteristics effectively.
This study aims to identify key resilience characteristics (RCs) specifically for the Remote Operation Centres (ROCs) of autonomous ships, addressing their specific challenges such as maintaining situation awareness, ensuring reliable communication, and enabling effective decision-making under dynamic conditions. By embedding these RCs within the HRM framework, this study leverages HRM's principles-such as anticipation, robustness, and recovery-to systematically strengthen ROCs' operational capacities. This alignment aims to provide a basis for improved response to unpredictable disruptions, enhanced coordination in multi-vessel operations, and reduced risk of system failures during critical operations. Ultimately, these advancements contribute to the safe and reliable design of autonomous ship systems, positioning ROCs as resilient hubs capable of managing complex and high-risk maritime environments.

Keywords: High Reliability Management (HRM), Resilience characteristics, Autonomous ships, Remote operation centres.