The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Polar Code has now been in place since 2014, and the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) Polar Rules were first promulgated in 2007. These have contributed to improved safety, environmental and economic benefits in Arctic (Polar) operations.

However, both the Code and the Rules are based on 1990s knowledge. A key change since then is the decline in ice coverage and thickness due to climate change. Many of the risks that the current system aims to mitigate assume that multi-year ice in the Arctic is very common, thick and extremely hard. This is less and less true. Summer operations in future may encounter little or no sea ice even in high latitudes, and while winter ice will persist it will be much less challenging. The nature of operations in the Arctic has already changed considerably, with low- and non-ice class ships operating along the Russian Northern Sea Route and a variety of new operations being considered for the North West Passage and other Arctic Routes. Modern sensors, satellite systems, and advanced signal processing technologies offer the potential for greatly improved operational risk management. The nature of cost-effective ship design is changing under the influence of new technologies from future fuels to artificial intelligence. This presentation will review the current state of the art and the areas with the greatest potential for improvement based on recent and ongoing development. Issues highlighted will include the need for better operational data, and how this could be gathered using a mix of government vessels and commercial operations. The presentation will discuss Canada’s R&D assets, including universities, the National Research Council, and other stakeholders, and will review how the recent international ICEPact and other initiatives could be used to contribute to safer and more efficient Arctic shipping.