Intelligent Ship Engine Rooms: A Decade of Progress and Challenges

The dual pressures of rapid digitalization and increasingly stringent emissions regulations are accelerating the development of intelligent ship engine room technologies. This literature review (2014 – 2024) elucidates the current state, technological maturity, and research trends within this domain. Applying the PRISMA 2020 methodology, a pool of 410 publications sourced form Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was screened. The analysis distilled five dominant research domains: AI-based diagnostics and predictive maintenance, monitoring and automation, energy efficiency and hybrid propulsion, digital twins, and condition-monitoring frameworks. Findings indicate substantial progress in modelling, optimization, and machine learning applications. However, validation is predominantly confined to simulations or laboratory settings, lacking robust testing under real-world ship operating conditions. This underscores a persistent gap between theoretical development and practical implementation, suggesting a transitional maturity stage. The paper concludes by delineating key challenges and future research priorities essential for enabling the large-scale, real-world deployment of intelligent engine systems, thereby fostering safer and more sustainable maritime operations.