I learned the integral and synchronised thinking from apple computer. Apple computers from its inception had strongly believed integrating hardware and software end to end. Many firms have not believed in integrating hardware and software. It took several years for the apple to prove the world that what it have believed.
I feel there is lack of synchronised and integrated thinking in R&D of shipping industry. In past the economy of scale with ship building has grown enormous. The port infrastructure and machinery has grown comparatively less w.r.t. ship building. Now the innovation in shipbuilding is driven by organisation like International maritime organisation. If there is no big oil pollution happened in oil tanker, there will not be any double hull born. If there is no restriction regarding sulphur emission has done by IMO, there will not be any R&D in alternate energy source in shipping.
Now if there is integrated thinking in the shipping industry with ship owners, ship builders, harbours & terminals there will be some miracle innovation will happen. I have mention in previous blog about unicontainerisation and containerisation in parcel chemical tanker. The concepts were possible with only synchronised thinking since it involves further mechanisation in port. In order to make the synchronised thinking possible, it can done by external organisation like IMO and with other policy.
Deepak sekar 