Enhancing maritime education for digital sustainability

Purpose Digital sustainability involves the ability of industries and professionals to adapt to rapidly changing technological landscapes. Digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) are expected to radically change the maritime industry’s job landscape, especially with autonomous ships. International organisations currently do not formalise the education of maritime professionals and deck officers and need new formal modules. This study aims to contribute to this aspect by investigating learners’ experiences and knowledge gaps in the fundamentals of, as supported by the andragogy theory, topics such as computer programming, cybersecurity and statistics. Design/methodology/approach The research was carried out at Southampton Solent University, with samples of 105 students attending various MSc courses in maritime operations and deck cadet courses. The data was collected through an online survey. The two groups were compared and analysed using a chi-square test. Findings The results show that the percentage of MSc students with previous training in statistics, computer programming and cybersecurity courses was 37%, 13% and 16%, respectively. The deck officers’ training in the same areas was 06%, 09% and 09%. The results of this study were used to develop a new maritime digital module to focus on these topics. Originality/value The paper highlights digital sustainability’s significance in adapting education and training courses. Ship management companies and higher education institutions must urgently meet the demands of digitalisation and AI in the maritime industry. It highlights the necessity of addressing current knowledge gaps and implementing new educational modules to ensure the sustainable development of digital skills among maritime professionals and cadets.