June 3, 2026

Update on MEGURI2040 Fully Autonomous Ship Program’s Progress to International Maritime OrganizationFormulation of rules also marks acceleration toward social implementation

The Nippon Foundation launched the MEGURI2040 Fully Autonomous Ship Program in February 2020 to address the issue of crew shortages from population decline and reduce accidents caused by human error. On May 15, 2026, a presentation on the project’s Stage 2 (social implementation) progress was made at the 111^th meeting of the Maritime Safety Commission (MSC111)^[1] of the U.N.’s International Maritime Organization (IMO).^[2] The meeting, held at the IMO’s headquarters in London, was attended by roughly 300 delegates from around the world, with The Nippon Foundation Executive Director Mitsuyuki Unno and other project participants providing updates on the project’s achievements to date including overall progress, inspection frameworks for autonomous vessels, and crew training.

During 2025, the Foundation successfully introduced autonomous container vessels, which play a key role in Japan’s domestic logistics, and an autonomous Ro-Ro vessel that connects remote islands in Japan’s Inland Sea by delivering dairy and agricultural products, into commercial service. Going forward, the project will collect navigational data to promote the use of autonomous navigation, with the aim of having autonomous navigation account for 50% of Japan’s coastal shipping by 2040. This is seen leading to the resolution of the international social issue of crew shortages and enhancement of ship safety. Japan is leading the world in the social implementation of autonomous navigation, and the presenters received many questions from the meeting’s participants.

MSC111 also finalized and adopted a set of non-mandatory international safety rules for autonomous vessels (MASS Code).^[3] Going forward, the verification data collected by MEGURI2040 is seen being used when the MASS Code becomes binding after participating countries have conducted their own trial operations.

1. Maritime Safety Commission (MSC): Made up of IMO member countries, the MSC meets three times every two years to consider: (1) Navigational assistance; (2) Vessel structures and equipment; (3) Crew assignments from the perspective of safety; (4) Collision-prevention regulations; (5) Handling of dangerous cargo; (6) Procedures and requirements related to maritime safety; (7) Waterway information; (8) Accident investigations; and (9) Other items directly affecting maritime safety.↩︎
2. International Maritime Organization (IMO): Established under the auspices of the United Nations in 1958, the IMO promotes international cooperation in dealing with maritime issues ranging from vessel safety to marine pollution caused by ships. As of May 2026, the IMO had 176 Member States and three regions as Associate Members.↩︎
3. Reference: MSC111 session highlights ↩︎

Video introducing MEGURI2040 Stage 2

MEGURI2040 Fully Autonomous Ship Program Stage 2 outcomes | YouTube

Following the presentation, a ceremony has held to mark The Nippon Foundation’s additional donation to the IMO Technical Cooperation Programme being administered by the Japan Ship Technology Research Association. This fund uses Japanese expertise to train ship crew members from developing countries, who play an important role in international marine transport, in the operation of LNG-fueled vessels, autonomous vessels, and hydrogen-fueled vessels. In addition to Mr. Unno, the ceremony was attended by Japan’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom Hiroshi Suzuki and the IMO’s Maritime Safety Division Director Damien Chevallier, who expressed his expectations and appreciation for the contributions being made by The Nippon Foundation.
Afterward, Mr. Unno and Ambassador Suzuki paid a courtesy visit to IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, where they discussed the MEGURI2040 project, the current international situation, the IMO’s recent activities, and other maritime issues. In addition to confirming their common approaches to various maritime issues, they confirmed their intention to work even more closely together going forward.