The Challenges of Digitisation and Data Analysis in the Maritime Domain

ABSTRACT The volume of collected and synthesised data available to governmental leaders assessing the maritime domain has increased rapidly over recent years. Analogue data has given way to digital data, which provides an opportunity for better storage, analysis and transfer. Data infusion and management has become the key constraint in respect of data collection. Using data to make decisions requires the appropriate tools and processes to assess and transfer data to near real-time user domains. In the maritime environment, there is a constantly growing demand for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data for both national security and commercial purposes, including data sharing among partner nations. However, an increase in available data does not automatically equate to an increase in decision-ready information. Rather, the increase in data can overwhelm sensors, databases and analysts. The concept and use of “big data” exacerbate the already overwhelming flow of data in terms of the volume, variety, and velocity of the data being received. This paper will explore the digitisation of the maritime domain, and the prospect of performing data analysis in a world of rapidly growing data. Abbreviations: BAMS: Broad area maritime surveillance; DAMA-DMBOK: Data Management Association Guide to the Data Management Body of Knowledge; ECDIS: Electronic chart display and information system; EDM: Enterprise data management; ELT: Extract, load, transform; ETL: Extract, transform, load; ISR: Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; MDA: Maritime domain awareness; PWC: PriceWaterhouseCoopers; ROI: Return on investment; SDLC: Systems development life cycle; TCPED: Tasking, collection, processing, exploitation and dissemination; WGS: Wideband global satellite