The existing risk weighing on vessel, crew and ecosystem in the Arctic and more globally in Polar waters promoted the adoption of the Polar Code (PC) early 2017, a mandatory international legal framework intended for enhanced safety and environmental protection. While the substance of the PC has been extensively analyzed, few studies have focused on the underlying relationships between the PC and underwriters. Based on an extensive literature review, documentary materials and interviews with insurance companies, this article conceptualizes the PC as a “toolbox” and analyzes how underwriters can exploit it in their work within the emerging Arctic market. The PC does not only regulate the navigation in Arctic waters in legal terms, but is also aimed at mitigating risks in the Polar areas through the identification of hazard sources and proceduralization of risk assessment. As a result we observe a certain “Polar Code paradox”. Even though the PC is a risk-based instrument and constitutes a key step for improving ship insurability, it has only limited capacity to assist underwriters in assessing risks and insuring vessels. Marine insurers still face a lack of data and high pending uncertainties leading them to exercise extreme caution with Arctic risks appraisal.

The development of Arctic ports was critical for the USSR and is still crucial for the Russian economy on account of its high dependence on oil and gas resources. National production zones are mainly located far from international consumption areas. Recent years have seen numerous projects in the Arctic with foreign direct investments which in turn have led to a consolidation of a new Russian Arctic Port Range. However, if some port and logistics’ achievements seem to be new, most structural project were already planned during the Soviet period. Based on AIS data and academic literature, our analysis aims to highlight the evolution of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) towards a complex infrastructure network with strategic and geopolitics’ purposes.

This data article includes the datasets of the mean and the standard deviation of ice thickness in a set of sailing zones for a sailing route that goes through the Northern Sea Route (NSR) between Murmansk and Pusan. The route under consideration is between the longitudes 33° 45' 0″ and 129° 3' 60″ and the latitudes 69° 24' 27″ and 35° 6' 0″ that correspond to the ports of Murmansk (Russia) in the west and Pusan (China) in the east respectively. Within this area, the part that is between the longitude 57° 0' 0″ and -168° 58' 0″ and the latitude 70° 27' 18″ and 69° 6' 0″ correspond to the NSR. This route has been divided into 49 subzones, and each subzone into squares of 12.5km of side following the data structure of the database Copernicus [1]. The detailed coordinates of the subzones (longitude and latitude) are provided in the article. The daily ice thickness for the period between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2016 has been obtained for each of the 12.5km sided squares. This data article provides the normality test outcomes and the corresponding p-value of the ice thickness data for each subzone on each calendar day. Moreover, the mean and the standard deviation of the ice thickness in each subzone are also provided. The data provided in this data article can be very helpful for researchers for different applications related to the weather conditions in the NSR zone or to shipping related issues. For instance, the data provided in this paper can be used to investigate the change in ice thickness in the NSR over the period 2006-2016 and to estimate future changes. Another potential application is the estimation of the need for icebreaker assistance as well as the possible ranges for the vessel sailing speed based on the vessel type and for any navigation day in any of the NSR zones. In addition, this data can be used to estimate the risk of blockage for any vessel type because of ice conditions in the NSR zones. It can be helpful to estimate the economic viability of shipping through the NSR since the icebreaker assistance, the speed and the risk of blockage have an effect on the profitability of the shipping lines that may use the NSR.

The advancement of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) represents a major shift in the maritime industry, promising enhanced efficiency, safety, and sustainability in short-sea shipping (SSS). This study explores the technology readiness level (TRL) of core technologies for fully autonomous MASS operation in the SSS context. A systematic literature review identified 15 such technologies across four operational phases: open-sea navigation, berthing, mooring, and shore-to-ship communication. These comprise both baseline maritime technologies already mature in conventional shipping (e.g., GPS, RADAR, VHF radio, satellites) and autonomy-specific technologies whose maturity directly conditions MASS readiness (e.g., collision avoidance algorithms, intelligent detection algorithms, on-board robotic systems). The perceived TRL of these technologies is assessed based on a survey of relevant stakeholders. On-board robotic systems, augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR), 3D measurement using dense stereo vision, and intelligent detection algorithms (IDA) are the technologies with lowest perceived TRL. A technology roadmap analysis is conducted too considering up to a 20-year timeline, which suggests that on-board robotic systems technology is likely to take the longest time to reach highest TRL. The findings highlight the MASS technologies that need more attention from academia and industry for further development of MASS.