Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships from a risk governance perspective: Interpretation and implications

Recently, there has been a significant interest in industry, regulatory, and academic contexts in the prospects of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS). Much work focuses on technical developments and discussions on legal, economic, and safety and security implications. There has been less focus and discussion on the role of different societal actors in the decision-making processes concerning the conceptualization, design, and operational implementation of these future vessels. This paper contributes to this discussion by framing the introduction of MASS in a risk governance context. After briefly introducing the International Risk Governance Council's Risk Governance Framework, the different degrees of autonomy of MASS are categorized according to their dominant risk characteristics. Subsequently, implications are drawn for the recommended risk governance strategies in approaching MASS development and implementation, and some future research areas are identified. It is argued that with higher degrees of autonomy, complexities and uncertainties become more important, necessitating an approach to MASS design and implementation where multiple affected stakeholders are included. A reflective discourse is recommended. For MASS degree of autonomy three and four, normative ambiguities may be present. In such cases, a participative discourse is recommended, where a wider societal debate is held regarding appropriate actions.