Autonomous and Remote-Operated Vessels: Operational Scaling and Regulatory Alignment
September 30, 2025By Seawork Press FP
Get set for Workboat 2050
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The Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s Dr. Esmé Flegg is to speak at the first session of Get Set for Workboat 2050 Series 6 this November.
The “in-person” session ‘Autonomous and Remote-Operated Vessels: Operational Scaling and Regulatory Alignment’ will take place at The Workboat Association AGM.
Dr. Flegg is Innovative Technologies Lead - Code Vessels at the MCA. She specialises in developing regulation and creative solutions for Small Commercial Vessels, utilising innovative technologies such as remotely operated and automated vessels, alternative fuels and propulsion systems. She has worked at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency since 2020, drawing on the unique skills and expertise which she honed whilst undertaking a dual-disciplinary PhD on maritime engineering and maritime law. Dr. Flegg is a Member of the Institute of Marine Engineering Science and Technology (IMarEST)
Topical and informative, the ‘Autonomous and Remote-Operated Vessels: Operational Scaling and Regulatory Alignment’ session will: • Examine the classification of maritime autonomy — remote-operated, semi-autonomous, and fully autonomous — and how emerging IMO frameworks are shaping their deployment. • Assess the operational and workforce implications of autonomy, including task automation, system supervision, and the integration of advanced control software. • Analyse the drivers behind the transition to autonomous and remote-operated workboats and explore strategies for scalable implementation across fleet operations.
Get Set for Workboat 2050 - Session 1 of Series 6, is held in partnership with Seawork, Maritime Journal and the Workboat Association and will take place on the afternoon of Monday 18 November, at the Workboat Association AGM, Oulton Hall, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England UK
‘Autonomous and Remote-Operated Vessels: Operational Scaling and Regulatory Alignment’ is free-to-attend, but delegates should note that other events at Oulton Hall are for the Workboat Association members only.
