OrbitMI chief executive Ali Riaz is convinced shipping is entering what he calls the “connected maritime era” — a decisive break from fragmented decision-making toward integrated, AI-driven systems that let owners act before market shifts or risks fully materialise.
“The next 12 months will mark the shift from fragmented, reactive decision-making to connected platforms,” he says in this week’s big Maritime CEO interview. “These will integrate every source of operational truth, apply AI to interpret it instantly, and deliver insight crews and operators can act on immediately.”
Traditional voyage management systems, Riaz argues, tell you where a vessel is and what it has done. “The coming wave will connect market intelligence, operational data, and predictive models into one environment,” he explains. “Winners will use adaptable systems to stay ahead of regulation, market shifts, and geopolitical events, while positioning ships and cargo for the best commercial outcome before the current voyage is even complete.”
OrbitMI has been expanding its capabilities, layering in acquisitions and technical hires to push its platform closer to that vision. Riaz says the company’s use of artificial intelligence goes far beyond monitoring or reporting.
“We use AI to predict where the next profitable cargo will be and recommend vessel positioning,” he says. “We can model the commercial impact of operational decisions in real time, and identify risks such as demurrage exposure before they materialise.”
Yet he admits much of shipping still hasn’t grasped AI’s full potential. “Many systems remain closed and reactive, unable to connect to best-in-class providers or turn raw data into meaningful action,” he argues. “The real value lies in integrated, AI-driven operational intelligence — connecting every source of truth, amplifying human expertise, and enabling decisive action while there’s still time to influence the outcome.”
He believes the mindset shift from “recording” to “optimising” is only just beginning. “In the connected maritime era, those who achieve this will have a clear competitive advantage,” he says.
Riaz’s perspective is informed by a career that straddles many other sectors. With over 25 years of experience in leading, innovating, and growing businesses in the software and life sciences industries, Riaz has founded, co-founded, and advised several startup organisations in various domains, such as unified information access, enterprise search, and medical technologies, before founding SaaS platform OrbitMI six years ago. His career arc has given him a sharp focus on how complex industries evolve once data and digital tools start reshaping value creation.
Asked if shipping is finally willing to open the wallet for digital upgrades, Riaz says yes — but only under certain conditions.
“Owners and operators are investing when technology can prove measurable ROI, integrate with existing systems, and adapt as the market changes,” he says. “Spend to save is giving way to spend to earn — investing in platforms that connect data, market intelligence, and predictive modelling to optimise commercial outcomes, not just operational efficiency.”
The critical differentiator, he stresses, is openness. “Companies are choosing connected, open systems that evolve as fast as the world around them rather than clinging to rigid, isolated tools that can’t keep up with regulation or turn insight into action.”
OrbitMI has also been reshaping its own workforce to keep pace with the industry’s shift.
“We’ve expanded our team with more data scientists, market analysts, and product managers who can bridge deep commercial shipping knowledge with advanced technology,” Riaz says. “The role of the operator is evolving from running a system to interpreting insights and acting on them instantly.”
He underlines that OrbitMI’s mission is not to replace expertise but to elevate it. “Our aim is to connect maritime knowledge with the full operational picture — every voyage, every option, every risk — so decisions are faster, better, and more commercially aligned. That’s what it takes to win in the connected maritime era.”
OrbitMI has been busy on the M&A front. In the past year, the US-based firm has acquired Swedish advisory outfit Gale Force and AI specialist AuQub, adding muscle in voyage optimisation, emissions reporting, and predictive analytics.
Looking ahead, Riaz says OrbitMI will expand its scenario modelling to include real-time market conditions, weather, bunker forecasts, and contractual performance factors in one environment.
“This means operators will be able to see the commercial impact of any decision across their fleet and act before opportunities disappear,” he says. “In the connected maritime era, the winners will be those who can combine every source of operational truth with the ability to simulate, decide, and execute — not in weeks or days, but in the moment.”
