A.P. Moller-Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC, and Ocean Network Express officially established on April 12, 2019 the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA), the shipping liner group seeking to drive standardization, digitalization and interoperability in the industry.
In a release, Hapag-Lloyd said the DCSA has started operations immediately following regulatory approval from the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission in March.
“For the first time in twenty years, the container shipping industry has come together with a common goal to move the industry into the digital era. With the regulatory approval in place, we look forward for the association to take up work and to begin to collaborate with multiple stakeholders from the entire value chain,” said André Simha, CIO of MSC and chairman of the Supervisory Board of DCSA.
“To create value quickly and to overcome some of the biggest pain-points in the industry, one of the first projects is focusing on standards to overcome the lack of a common foundation for technical interfaces and data,” said the release.
Additionally, the association is creating an industry blueprint for processes to develop another cornerstone for the foundation of the future of shipping.
“The work undertaken will be for the benefit of the entire industry, as all standards will be openly published, making them available free of charge to interested external parties,” said the statement.
Thomas Bagge has been appointed CEO and statutory director of the DCSA, whose headquarters will be located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
“DCSA is working for the benefit of the entire container shipping industry; hence, it was important for us that the headquarters is located on neutral grounds, so no specific stakeholders or companies are favored,” said Simha.
The proximity to shipping infrastructure, attractiveness for talent, and ease of reach were a decisive point for selecting Amsterdam as the location for the headquarters.
DCSA is in discussions with multiple other container shipping lines around the globe that are interested in joining the group, and preparations for membership of two companies are already ongoing, said the statement.
Photo: Wmeinhart
