A Groundbreaking Initiative to Address Uncertainty in the Global Maritime Workforce
Two well-known maritime brands have combined their knowledge and reach to launch a project aimed at understanding seafarer mental wellbeing in an increasingly challenging industry.
The “Sailing Through Uncertainty” project is a collaboration between Seatrade Maritime and DSG, leveraging their combined expertise to amplify impact and credibility. The project is a year-long initiative designed to understand, measure, and act on the sources of uncertainty affecting the global maritime workforce aimed at understanding what uncertainty feels like for seafarers and what helps them navigate it. Through a multi-faceted approach of data insights, in person workshops and focus sessions, Sailing Through Uncertainty will focus on the lived experiences of seafarers and shoreside staff, and equipping industry leaders with actionable insights to foster resilience, retention, and performance.
Chris Morley, Group Director at Seatrade Maritime, part of Informa Markets, said: “The maritime sector is navigating a period of unprecedented challenges, including geopolitical instability, regulatory changes, technological disruption, and evolving workforce expectations. While the industry has extensive data on operational and commercial risks, there is a critical gap in understanding how uncertainty impacts the people who deliver its operations. The “Sailing Through Uncertainty” project seeks to fill this gap by generating original data, fostering honest conversations, and providing practical recommendations for the industry.”
The “Sailing Through Uncertainty” initiative will be delivered across several Seatrade Maritime events, including Crew Connect Global in Manila, Philippines and Seatrade Maritime UAE in Dubai. Anchored by a global seafarer survey, the project will culminate in the publication of resources and practical recommendations to drive meaningful change.
The survey will be collated and analysed by DSG, whilst event organiser and publisher, Seatrade Maritime will leverage its global audience to reach survey participants through managers and industry leaders at events throughout 2026 and 2027. The results of which will be shared at Seatrade Maritime UAE in Dubai, May 2027.
Helping to amplify the survey and also awareness of the project will be several leading maritime organisations who will encourage their members to distribute the survey amongst their seafaring community. These include: Mission to Seafarers; ISWAN, InterManager, IMEC, Sailors Society and ITF Seafarers Trust.
Speaking from DSG, Heidi Heseltine, Founder and CEO, said: “The maritime industry is invited to join this critical initiative to better understand and address the human impact of uncertainty. By participating in the “Sailing Through Uncertainty” project, stakeholders can contribute to shaping a more resilient and sustainable future for the global maritime workforce.”
The survey goes live today (xxxx) and will capture details on the primary sources of uncertainty experienced by seafarers; the impact of uncertainty on wellbeing, performance, and career intentions and what practical support is needed from employers and the wider industry.
As well as the ongoing survey, DSG will actively be engaging with shore side colleagues from shipping managers to operational leaders and CEOs to consider the themes and how to effectively respond to them in a way that has a tangible impact on the working lives of seafarers.
This knowledge will be gained through workshops and facilitated sessions across the year, most notably at Seatrade Maritime Crew Connect Global and Seatrade Maritime UAE.
Chris Morley, Group Director, Seatrade Maritime added: “Whilst the survey sits at the core of this initiative, it is the overall body of work across the stakeholder spectrum that will provide the actionable insights as we’re looking at shore and sea. It is critical we get that deep understanding from industry – seafarers and those working at shore – so that we have conclusive reporting from across the whole spectrum of the seafaring community.”
The first event to update on the themes will be Crew Connect Global, from 20-22 October 2026, which is pertinent as it is widely regarded as the leading maritime crewing conference, dedicated to the issues, challenges and opportunities facing the future of seafaring.
Once the final year-long analysis is presented in May 2027, a course of action will be mapped and shared across the wider industry.
Heidi added: “The project will produce practical recommendations and resources to help industry leaders create conditions for resilience and performance which in turn, will drive meaningful, long-term change.
