Norway-based maritime technology business, Shipnet, has launched a new podcast titled ‘Talking Ship’ as it looks to make topical industry discussions more digestible and open the doors of Shipnet to wider audiences.

Available on Apple and Spotify, Shipnet’s first episode ‘Data-driven shipping efficiency’ features head of customer experience John Wills and marketing director Jenny Duffy, who join the podcast host and 20-year broadcaster, Zoe Hanson, to discuss how integral shipping is to our daily lives and how the industry is recognising the need to digitise.

John said: “Shipping is going through the curve that other industries went through ten years ago and teamed with digital-first graduates it’s a really interesting time. We have a lot to say about the industry and a podcast is the perfect place to allow people into our world, engage with us about what we’re discussing and get people talking more about digitising the industry. There’s a lot of data available to shipping organisations but a lot of businesses are not utilising it to improve their decision making and operations yet.”

The second episode ‘Breaking down the secrecy of shipping’ sees product management director Niall Jack and John discuss how delayed the shipping industry is to digitisation due to the secrecy that surrounds the industry. They also share an integral element of Shipnet’s DNA – that so many key team members are former mariners so they have the on-the-ground experience to bring to development and ultimately benefit customers.

Niall said: “I started working at sea in 2015 but it’s only been in the last two-three years that there’s been an awakening to digitisation. Whereas the internet opened up accessing information on every other industry, shipping is notoriously quite secretive but businesses are getting wise to how effective data can positively drive decisions. Users of our product are people at sea and our motivation is to build products that allow them to work more safely and efficiently.

The podcast, initially in production for six episodes, will release one per month, with the first available now.