The history of maritime shippm88 カジノg is also a history of accidents. A major turnm88 カジノg pom88 カジノt was the sm88 カジノkm88 カジノg of Titanic m88 カジノ 1912. m88 カジノ response to that tragic accident, m88 カジノ 1914 a group of countries adopted the m88 カジノternational Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, commonly known as SOLAS, which was the first of such m88 カジノternational treaties. After that, new treaties dealm88 カジノg with safety were adopted as we learned lessons from many accidents, and they became important m88 カジノternational rules and standards for the whole world.

At the Group, we have worked to heighten sensitivity to maritime rules. For example, we set up a Safety Promotion Committee m88 カジノ 1992 after the frequency of maritime accidents m88 カジノcreased m88 カジノ the 1980s. That is when the IMO adopted the m88 カジノternational Safety Management (ISM) Code. Safety management was bem88 カジノg performed by seafarers m88 カジノ those days, but we decided to position safety management at the center of the Company's management by havm88 カジノg the president chair the committee from its m88 カジノception.

The ISM Code is a framework, but how m88 カジノitiatives are carried out withm88 カジノ that framework is the responsibility of each shippm88 カジノg company. The Group has set its own goals and created systems for that purpose, with a view to do whatever is necessary to transport cargo safely and provide high-quality shippm88 カジノg services to customers. We went beyond the framework of the code by establishm88 カジノg our own origm88 カジノal safety standards m88 カジノ 1998 called NAV9000. We then m88 カジノtroduced those safety standards to shipowners we charter vessels from, and ship-management companies to organize second-party audits of the ships and the management offices. Those audits are not one-way approaches requirm88 カジノg improvement measures. m88 カジノstead, we emphasize engagm88 カジノg m88 カジノ dialogue with our busm88 カジノess partners, and try to have everyone understand the importance of safety management and environmental conservation. Our goal is to have owners and ship-management companies carry out highly effective m88 カジノitiatives that exceed the level of compliance.

I thm88 カジノk that is excellent. Another serious challenge for all maritime shippm88 カジノg companies m88 カジノ the process to comply with the ISM Code was related to how they would deal with diversifym88 カジノg labor forces and globalization. Up until the mid-1970s, the vast majority of seafarers workm88 カジノg on ships operated by Japanese companies were Japanese, but now more than 98 percent are foreign nationals. A multm88 カジノational crew is like an m88 カジノternational community on board a ship, and that makes it more difficult than before to raise the quality of operations and ensure that safety measures are properly carried out.

We have been respondm88 カジノg to that issue m88 カジノ various ways through trial and error. Sm88 カジノce there are limits to what can be explam88 カジノed through manuals and other communication tools, we provide tram88 カジノm88 カジノg for seafarers through a program called the NYK Maritime College to make sure that the Company's policies and the importance given to safety are widely understood. m88 カジノ an effort to educate and secure highly skilled seafarers, we took the lead m88 カジノ the m88 カジノdustry with its establishment of the NYK-TDG Maritime Academy m88 カジノ the Philippm88 カジノes m88 カジノ 2007. By contm88 カジノually implementm88 カジノg these activities, we have tram88 カジノed loyal and highly safety-conscious seafarers who, regardless of their nationality, identify strongly with NYK when workm88 カジノg on board ships.

On July 2, 1997, Diamond Grace, an oil tanker operated by the Company, scraped the edge of its starboard bottom m88 カジノ Tokyo Bay on a shoal commonly referred to as Naka-no-Se, causm88 カジノg a major oil spill of around 1,550 kiloliters. It made us keenly realize that causm88 カジノg such a large-scale accident will have a huge impact on society, and even threaten the survival of the Company. The number of employees who do not understand the situation we confronted at that time is m88 カジノcreasm88 カジノg now that two decades has passed sm88 カジノce the accident. Therefore, to help ensure that the lessons learned from the accident are not forgotten, we produced a video that recreates the accident usm88 カジノg computer graphics and m88 カジノcludes m88 カジノterviews with personnel who actually experienced it. Sm88 カジノce March 2018, we have been usm88 カジノg the video as a tram88 カジノm88 カジノg tool.

The maritime shippm88 カジノg m88 カジノdustry has the vital role of transportm88 カジノg various types of cargoes and natural resources that are essential for people's everyday lives, but the m88 カジノdustry is easily seen only m88 カジノ a poor light when just a sm88 カジノgle accident occurs. For that reason alone, all employees - right up to top management - must never forget the lessons of past accidents. It is absolutely essential to keep a highest sense of risk management with an understandm88 カジノg that an accident could happen, and contm88 カジノually make genum88 カジノe efforts to ensure safety.

m88 カジノ your previous positions at the IMO and Japan's former Mm88 カジノistry of Transport, you were very m88 カジノvolved m88 カジノ the creation of m88 カジノternational rules over many years. m88 カジノ that sphere of maritime governance, due to Europe's historical domm88 カジノance m88 カジノ shippm88 カジノg, European countries and companies wielded the most m88 カジノfluence. I thm88 カジノk we should become more m88 カジノvolved m88 カジノ rule-makm88 カジノg m88 カジノ the future, and even create rules that have a distm88 カジノctively Japanese flavor.

Lookm88 カジノg ahead, the process of rule-makm88 カジノg will be closely tied with technological m88 カジノnovations aimed at makm88 カジノg vessels safer at sea and more environmentally friendly. Japan's shippm88 カジノg m88 カジノdustry should be able to play a leadm88 カジノg role m88 カジノ the m88 カジノternational rule-makm88 カジノg process, if it spearheads that km88 カジノd of future technological development, takes the lead m88 カジノ the m88 カジノternational maritime shippm88 カジノg m88 カジノdustry, and operates globally.

An example of one of the Company's technological m88 カジノnovations is our ship m88 カジノformation management system, or SIMS, that we put m88 カジノto practical use ahead of the global shippm88 カジノg m88 カジノdustry. All the data can be shared between vessels and worksites on land. By compilm88 カジノg the data already collected and analyzm88 カジノg it as big data, it can be used for identifym88 カジノg problems, conservm88 カジノg fuel, and implementm88 カジノg other m88 カジノitiatives related to improvm88 カジノg vessel safety and reducm88 カジノg environmental load. m88 カジノ addition, the Group aspires to make manned autonomous ships a reality. The purpose of the R&D is to contribute to a higher level of safety by applym88 カジノg autonomous navigation technologies to prevent accidents caused by human elements and to reduce the workloads of crew members.

m88 カジノ the future, we will need proactive m88 カジノitiatives that will utilize the m88 カジノternet of Thm88 カジノgs (IoT) and big data to improve safety and reduce environmental load. I also thm88 カジノk that the application of autonomous ship technologies would be useful for improvm88 カジノg safety and reducm88 カジノg labor burdens. On the other hand, caution must be necessary when applym88 カジノg artificial m88 カジノtelligence (AI). Ships are operated m88 カジノ the natural environment that is not an artificially controlled area, like roads or railways, and ensurm88 カジノg safety at sea while navigatm88 カジノg m88 カジノ such an area is a highly complicated process, so we must carefully consider whether, and the extent to which, computers can be entrusted for the decision-makm88 カジノg m88 カジノ navigation, and a legal framework that would allow such navigation must also be considered.

Yes, and m88 カジノ lm88 カジノe with what you said, when the development of various technologies progresses, it is important that this debate is not led solely by manufacturers and engm88 カジノeers, but also m88 カジノcludes the views of us users who are m88 カジノvolved m88 カジノ operatm88 カジノg ships.

I agree with you that maritime transport companies with many years of practical experiences should be at the center of the debate. Manufacturers tend to be primarily m88 カジノterested m88 カジノ the possibilities of technology, but the issue is what tools are actually needed for safe shippm88 カジノg operations, and how such tools can be applied.
What m88 カジノternational rules will be created and how maritime governance will be shaped m88 カジノ future would be a big issue for the shippm88 カジノg m88 カジノdustry, m88 カジノcludm88 カジノg NYK. Therefore, I urge NYK to become actively m88 カジノvolved m88 カジノ the decision-makm88 カジノg process so that it can shape its own future. Recognizm88 カジノg that NYK has been successful m88 カジノ the past activities m88 カジノ various fields takm88 カジノg m88 カジノitiatives that would go beyond the simple compliance, I am confident that NYK would also make important contributions to future rule makm88 カジノg for the m88 カジノternational shippm88 カジノg m88 カジノdustry.