Samenvatting

Autonomous freight transport is becoming an increasingly relevant topic in transport and logistics. Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (or MASS) can sail to varying degrees of autonomy, making “smart” shipping possible and sailing with fewer or even full crew members. MASS is intended to enable shipping with lower costs, improved operational performance, greater safety and a smaller footprint. Previous research has mainly focused on technology development, ship design, operational aspects and cost-benefit analyzes of and for autonomous ships. However, the impact and benefits for shippers and other stakeholders in the transport chain – apart from the operator – are rarely elaborated. In this article, we examine MASS from a logistics chain perspective, taking stock of past and current research and projects and proposing an agenda to address key knowledge gaps regarding the impact of MASS on shippers and their supply chains. The benefits of MASS for operators have been well researched, but to what extent does the introduction of MASS lead to significant changes in the proposition of operators towards shippers in terms of freight rates, service offering (routes, lead times, frequency), reliability, and/or footprint? remains underexposed in research. Furthermore, MASS must be integrated into transport systems and logistics chains that must adapt to autonomous ships. The conditions under which these parties want to invest in this integration have not yet been investigated. The research agenda we propose focuses on the most relevant dimensions of this question regarding the conditions for success for MASS, and the subsequent implications for shippers' decision-making and supply chains.auton