Arctic navigation: stakes, benefits and limits of the polaris system

• Main Authors: Fedi, Laurent, Etienne, Laurent, Faury, Olivier, Rigot-Müller, Patrick, Stephenson, Scott, Cheaitou, Ali
• Other Authors: Kedge Business School Talence, Bases de données et traitement des langues naturelles (BDTLN), Laboratoire d'Informatique Fondamentale et Appliquée de Tours (LIFAT), Université de Tours (UT)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - Centre Val de Loire (INSA CVL), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Tours (UT)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - Centre Val de Loire (INSA CVL), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Métis Lab EM Normandie, École de Management de Normandie (EM Normandie), National University of Ireland Maynooth (Maynooth University), University of Connecticut (UCONN), Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management Department (IEEM), University of Sharjah (UoS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2018
• Subjects: [INFO.INFO-MO]Computer Science [cs]/Modeling and Simulation; Arctic
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-02110281; https://hal.science/hal-02110281/document; https://hal.science/hal-02110281/file/faury_jot_2018_preprint.pdf

International audience Ensuring safe navigation is paramount for the economic development of the Arctic. Aware of this strategic issue, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), supported by the Arctic coastal states, adopted the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code) with aset of navigation tools including the well-known Polar Operational Limit Assessment Risk Indexing System (POLARIS). Designed for assessing operational capabilities for ships operating in ice, POLARIS is useful for various stakeholders such as the International Association of Classification Society (IACS) organizations and underwriters. Other important beneficiaries are shipowners and their crew. Even though POLARIS deals with topical issues, so far, this system has not been subjected to extensive studies of its capabilities and limitations. The aim of this analysis in hand is to assess the stakes, benefits and limits of POLARIS for Arctic navigation with a managerial approach and through the lens of risk assessment.Results show that POLARIS integrates various parameters to assess risk of navigation in ice, and that POLARIS can provide relevant managerial solutions to shipowners. Nevertheless, certain limitations remain; in particular, human factors such as the lack of crew experience or the issueof non-compliance are not taken into consideration. Finally, it is important to highlight the fact that POLARIS is not a mandatory requirement.