The financial hit on the industry will likely slow progress in the short term, but the conviction in the long-term trajectory remains

In the US, where opposition by unions is intense, automation is way behind compared to most terminals in Asia, Europe and the Middle East

The merger of China’s two largest state shipbuilding groups has gained the combined entity more weight in the eyes of Beijing’s policymakers, enabling it to win more support from state-owned shipowners and leasing houses amid the market downturn

The industry’s working assumptions of recent decades are no longer givens

Debating shipping’s decarbonisation pathways on this week’s podcast: Peter Boyd from Yale University, Matthieu de Tugny from Bureau Veritas, Tristan Smith from University College London’s Energy Institute and Adrian Tolson from Blue Insight

The US has issued global industry guidance that details best practices to detect deceptive shipping. It means the international maritime industry will remain in the crosshairs of sanctions enforcement no matter who wins the US presidential election in November. On the podcast to dissect the implications are Lloyd’s List editor Richard Meade, markets editor Michelle Wiese Bockmann and our resident tiger at the throat of the insurance industry — David Osler.

Shipping’s new normal of remote working may turn out to be more efficient than the air-mile eating customs of old. Could coronavirus spark a renaissance in shipping, turbo charging digital developments and cultivating collaboration and data standardisation along the way? This week the podcast focuses on maritime innovation and entrepreneurship, featuring insights from Roger Holm, president of Wärtsilä’s marine power business and Matt Heider, chief executive of Nautilus Labs, one of the industry’s new wave of technology firms that specialises in ocean commerce artificial intelligence

The shipping industry’s 12-step plan to facilitate crew change was released this week and is expected to expedite a more effective government response to the crew change crisis that has seen thousands of seafarers stuck at sea for months. But it also highlights that the industry is bracing for a longer period of disruption than many had been hoping for. It’s a wartime situation, says Columbia Shipmanagement president Mark O’Neil, who joins the podcast this week, along with International Chamber of Shipping secretary-general Guy Platten. The whole industry needs to accept that there are no quick fixes and we should all be steeling ourselves for an extended campaign, argues Mr O’Neil.