Integrating IEC and ISO information models into the S-100 Common Maritime Data Structure

Abstract

The implementation of new e-navigation services will be heavily dependent on the Common Maritime Data Structure (CMDS) based on the IHO S-100 framework. Much work is already being committed to this. However, the development of CMDS is not trivial and there are in particular two issues that deserve more attention:

1. S-100 is a geographic information system (GIS) type data modelling framework. A significant part of the information exchanged in e-navigation applications will not be geographical in nature, but rather operational. Information on hazardous materials or waste is an example of data elements that cannot easily be mapped to a GIS feature. There is a need to develop a principle for how such information shall be incorporated into the CMDS.

2. There are already a number of data structures that have been standardized for use in the maritime domain. Examples of this is EDIFACT messages for ship reporting, ISO 28005 for electronic port clearance and IEC 61162 for digital interfaces on the bridge. One will also have to develop principles for how the CMDS can incorporate these data models.

This presentation will show some more details of the examples of issues and suggest some possible ways to resolve them.