Autonomous Ships Market Report 2026

The autonomous ships market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $8.24 billion in 2025 to $8.74 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to shipping automation trials, maritime safety enhancement, fuel efficiency demand, early autonomous navigation systems, digital maritime operations.

The autonomous ships market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $11.22 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to regulatory support for autonomous shipping, smart port infrastructure growth, decarbonization targets, AI-based maritime analytics, autonomous fleet optimization. Major trends in the forecast period include development of fully autonomous vessels, remote fleet operation adoption, integration of ai collision avoidance, growth of electric autonomous ships, expansion of smart ports.

The rising number of marine accidents caused by human errors, leading to significant financial losses, is expected to drive the growth of the autonomous ship market. Unmanned ships equipped with autonomous technology help prevent accidents caused by human errors, reducing onboard incidents and associated costs. For instance, in July 2023, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), a UK-based government agency, reported that nearly 700 marine pilots conducted over 96,000 transfers using pilot ladders, resulting in more than 400 incidents. Of these, 25% were due to shackles being used instead of rolling hitches to secure side ropes, 23% were caused by poor ladder material condition, and 13% occurred because handhold stanchions were inadequate. Therefore, the adoption of autonomous ships to minimize human errors and financial losses is expected to drive market growth in the coming years.

Major companies in the autonomous ships market are focusing on technological innovations, such as real‑time AI‑powered situational awareness and navigation systems, to meet the rising demand for safer, more efficient, and regulation‑compliant autonomous vessel operations. For instance, in September 2024, Seadronix, a South Korea-based developer of maritime AI and navigation solutions, launched NAVISS 2.0, an advanced “True‑AI” ship monitoring and navigation system at the SMM 2024 maritime trade fair. This system integrates multiple onboard sensors (cameras, radar, LiDAR, etc.) to provide a seamless 360-degree “around-view” of the ship’s surroundings, delivering a real-time bird’s-eye perspective. NAVISS 2 uses Seadronix’s proprietary VADAR (VaDA AI Detection and Ranging) technology to detect and classify maritime objects, issue voice alerts and on-screen pop-ups when collision risks are identified, and offer customizable viewing options for different vessels or navigation contexts. Compared to traditional navigation methods reliant on human watch-standing, radar, or AIS (Automatic Identification System), this AI-driven solution reduces blind spots, minimizes human error, and enhances safety in congested waterways, busy ports, or poor visibility conditions. The launch was positioned as a strategic response to growing demand for AI-driven situational awareness supporting autonomous navigation and compliance with forthcoming regulations such as the IMO maritime autonomous surface ships code (MASS Code).

In July 2023, Nabtesco Corporation, a Japan-based company known for a range of engineering solutions, including the production of gearboxes, rotors, motors, and robotics, acquired Deep Sea Technologies, Inc. for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition facilitates the integration of Deep Sea's advanced AI technologies, especially its software platforms such as Cassandra for monitoring vessel performance and Pythia for optimizing voyages. These tools assist shipping companies in minimizing fuel consumption and emissions, supporting global sustainability objectives. Deep Sea Technologies, Inc., based in the US, specializes in engineering and manufacturing products and equipment for subsea oil and gas field development projects.

Major companies operating in the autonomous ships market report include Mitsui E&S Holdings Co. Ltd., Siemens AG, General Electric Company, Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., Northrop Grumman Corporation, Honeywell International Inc., ABB Ltd., BAE Systems plc, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, L3Harris Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce Holding plc, L3 ASV Global Ltd., Wärtsilä Corporation, Wärtsilä Corporation Inc., Valmet Corporation, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd., Kongsberg Gruppen AS, DNV GL AS, Fugro N.V., Vigor Industrial LLC, Rh Marine Ltd., Ocean GNS, ASV Global Limited, Praxis Automation Technology B.V., Automated Ships Ltd., SELSAN A.Ş., Autonomous Knight BV, Mapsea Corp. Ltd.

Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the autonomous ships market in 2025. Western Europe was the second largest region in the autonomous ships market share. The regions covered in the autonomous ships market report include Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the autonomous ships market report include Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The autonomous ship market consists of sales of autonomous container ships, maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS), and crewless vessels. Values in this market are factory gate values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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