In our global society, the most treasured and precious resource we have is human resources. This is more evident to me every day when I think about how the world works, how we get the things we need – literally at our fingertips – and the peace of mind that brings for many. After reading this article where Greek shipping magnate, Victor Restis, provides commentary, I am stunned yet again with the challenges and spirit to overcome those challenges global shipping and supply chains.
COVID-19 continues to dictate our lives. Where we go, how we get there, what we wear, and how we interact with others. As Americans, we do not like being dictated to and certainly do not like others telling us where we can go and what we can do, and do not like others telling us what to wear in public. But we need to adhere to these requests until we can get this virus under control.
I am thankful for people like Restis, who was most likely in the mix of critical decision-making that effected how supplies reached our shores – and the shores of every other country in the supply chain network. The maritime shipping industry is vast, almost beyond comprehension without straining thought. There are more than 2 million in the workforce and likely just as many points of failure. In supply chains, if one section goes down, the entire chain is affected. It is a domino effect, as outlined in the article.
Restis verifies through his commentary that there is a myriad of regulations for each country that were changing by the day during COVID-19’s initial spread. Having the entire industry come together with the regulatory institutions to find ways forward is impressive. I wish governments acted in the best interest of the people like the maritime industry did for its workforce.
It will be interesting to continue watching what develops out of the shipping industry. The implementation of new technologies, such as A.I. or robotics, will be exciting to watch. Can the shipping industry fully automate? I doubt it. At least not soon. I wonder if global shipping will move to electric or solar power for transoceanic journeys? Would that make sense? It would certainly benefit the environment, and it seems doable considering the constant exposure to the sun. Could a hybrid electric/solar be the answer? Hey Elon Musk, care to weigh in on this?
