Assessing the potential of risk-based regulations for emerging maritime technologies

The maritime regulatory landscape has traditionally been reactive, with regulations often shaped in response to past incidents. However, the rise of advanced technologies, particularly the unmanned vessels, demands a shift toward proactive framework. This paper explores the benefits and challenges of adopting risk-based legislation within the evolving field of maritime technology, with a focus on the operation of unmanned vessels in the Gulf of Finland. Through a comparative analysis of currentregulatory regimes in Estonia and Finland, this study demonstrates how risk-based regulations could be suitable approach to foster innovation and contribute to decarbonization goals. This paper was presented at the 35th European Safety and Reliability Conference and the 33rd Society for Risk Analysis Europe Conference (ESREL & SRA-E 2025), held in 2025.