The results show a clear shift in priorities as autonomy increases. At DOA 2, the analysis shows that ’Investment, Development & Operational Costs’ and ’Economic & Business Advantages’ are the top priorities for shipowners, reflecting a cautious, financially driven approach when human oversight still mitigates technological risk. However, at DOA 3 and DOA 4, where human presence is removed, the emphasis shifts toward "Technological Maturity & Reliability" and "Regulatory & Legal Framework." This highlights that in fully autonomous environments, reliable technology and well-defined rules on liability and operations become critical. Across all autonomy levels, “Emergency Response Capability” remains a consistently high priority, reinforcing industry concerns about safety in uncrewed operations. Factors such as "Human-Capital Readiness", "Port Infrastructure Readiness", "Standardization", and "Insurance & Premiums", while necessary, rank lower at all autonomy levels.
When examining the deployment contexts, the study finds that coastal and inland routes are the most viable for early MASS implementation. These settings offer shorter distances, more stable environments, and clearer regulatory jurisdictions. DOA 2 is seen as the most practical starting point especially for trans-ocean shipping, where the need for onboard maintenance and intervention remains high. Among vessel types, containerships and Ro-Ro vessels are identified as the most suitable for early adoption due to their operational predictability and compatibility with smart port infrastructure.
This thesis advances the literature by showing that adoption drivers differ systematically across autonomy levels.
This insight extends innovation adoption theory by highlighting the role of human presence in perceived risk. Unlike previous studies that evaluated autonomous shipping as a single category, this thesis emphasizes that each level of autonomy presents unique challenges and priorities. Finally, adoption will not follow a linear path but will depend on matching the right technologies with the right operational contexts. By capturing expert insights and providing level-specific analysis, this thesis offers a practical roadmap for shipowners, policymakers, and technology developers to introduce autonomous shipping.