The International Association of Classification Societies is set to reveal new membership criteria as part of a new modernisation programme.
IACS currently has 12 members, all of which are classification societies offering surveys, regulatory compliance inspection and quality assurance in the maritime industry. These organisations act as a fundamental safety and quality enforcer in the industry and IACS has a close relationship with the IMO.
However there has been speculation in recent years over the role of classification, as some societies branch out into other industry sectors, and offer a growing range of commercial risk assurance service
Knut Orbeck-Nilssen, chef executive of DNV GL maritime, used his first press conference of his one year chairmanship of IACS to outline the key issues he and the IACS secretariat will address in the coming months.
These include a modernisation of class, creating much needed transparency, with the membership criteria falling under this review.
It is he said, due for review, it being about a decade since the last assessment of the membership, a review which came following an investigation by European competition watchdogs. At that time there were, and still are members of IACS that are more active and prominent than others, leading to concerns that a two tier classification sector was emerging.
Mr Orbeck-Nilssen said the review will look at the quality systems and performance of the societies and any new membership criteria would apply to existing members as well as any new ones.
He did however say that all IACS members were supportive of the review and that none of the current 12 were at immediate risk of expulsion. He also alluded to class societies that are seeking to become members, although none have made formal applications for membership.
Turkish class society Türk Loydu has made no secret of its interest in joining the the association, and Tasneef, the young middle-east class society as well as the Indonesian class society have also been rumoured to have an interest in membership.
Membership comes with a financial cost, but also opens doors as many marine insurers make IACS classification a requirement for any vessels they cover.
Along with reviewing the membership criteria, Orbeck-Nilssen is also seeking to push for a modernisation of the classification industry, pointing to the increased levels of digitalisation and new technologies that are emerging – and here he pointed to an ongoing push to have flag states recognise and allow electronic certificates for compliance purposes.
To help achieve these goals he said IACS will start pushing for a five year strategy plan, or strategic horizon as it calls it, moving beyond the current one year that mirrors the chairmanship period and aligning more with the way the IMO plans. Orbeck-Nilssen did not reject the idea that it may be suitable to reassess how long the IACS chairmanship should be.
