The role of Marine Aids to Navigation in Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships and the economic implications of remote operator training: A Korean perspective

This study examines the role of marine aids to navigation (AtoN), particularly smart AtoN, in Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) and evaluates the economic implications of remote-operator training in Korea. It argues that smart AtoN should be considered not only as navigation infrastructure but also as part of the learning environment for future seafarers and remote operators. Although technical research on MASS and smart AtoN has advanced rapidly, education and training for using these systems remain insufficiently institutionalized. To address this gap, the study applies an ex ante market-opportunity framework. The global maritime officer pool is used as the potential trainee population, and direct economic effects are estimated from Korea-based tuition fees and local expenditures under alternative market-capture scenarios. Estimated cumulative effects range from USD 606.8 million to USD 3.03 billion for a 4-week program and from USD 1.21 billion to USD 6.07 billion for an 8-week program. Beyond direct revenue, a Korean training system could strengthen maritime human-resource capacity, connect technology with operational practice, and create a specialized education-service market. The findings show that autonomous shipping entails both technological and competency transitions, making MASS-related training a safety requirement and a strategic opportunity for Korea.