Papers by Nikitas Nikitakos
The existing procurement process in shipping is paper-based and labor-intensive. Looking to cut c... more The existing procurement process in shipping is paper-based and labor-intensive. Looking to cut costs and improve delivery times, while simultaneously enabling companies to take a more strategic approach to their jobs, an eprocurement framework is proposed to automate and streamline its procurement process by bringing it online. In this paper we present an intranet Web-based electronic procurement infrastructure. The shipping organizational process requirements was fully analyzed and evaluated. The ships as end-users were provided with access to the application taking into account the existing communication cost and restrictions. The logical Architecture is presented including the schema of the databases, the catalog management, the workflow of the purchase order plus the end-users interaction with the procurement system through Web browser. Then the physical architecture is described when security, load simulation and several well known technologies are applied. In all step the shipping environment and its specific characteristics are fully assessed. The application in its pilot implementation (marine engines spare parts procurement) shows that is scaleable, has a supplier integration strategy that met the shipping company's core requirement, is relatively eas y to install, configure and use and can be integrated with ERP.
Hill cipher Security
The protection of valuable data in a multimedia system is one of today's most challenging tas... more The protection of valuable data in a multimedia system is one of today's most challenging tasks for information technology. Hill cipher belongs in the polygram substitution case of ciphers and gives an inexpensive, easy and robust tool for multimedia security. The theory of Hill cipher and the related cryptosystem implementation is presented. The application of Hill cryptosystem to a Command and Control system and the related discussion conclude the paper.
International journal of computer applications, Jun 18, 2019
The continued development of the technologies applied to ship systems has pushed the shipbuilding... more The continued development of the technologies applied to ship systems has pushed the shipbuilding industry to shipbuilding, with fully modernized automation systems that allow them to be handled and constantly monitored in real time from everywhere on the planet. So the main purpose of this paper is to present the historical evolution of automation systems in shipping and to analyze both the existing technologies that take place in autonomous ships and the future trends. However, the potential risksconstraints underlying the use of this technology will be analyzed, as well as the important elements that should be given special importance so that the community can obtain a fully clarified picture of the particularly brilliant and promising technology of autonomous ships. The results of this paper provide the basis for further analysis of future autonomous naval systems and contribute decisively both to the promotion of autonomous shipping and to the further improvement and development of independent maritime systems by assessing possible threats to avoid accidents.
Nucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols, 2022
Modern environmental priorities for seaport development involve reducing harmful emissions from p... more Modern environmental priorities for seaport development involve reducing harmful emissions from port operations and increasing their energy efficiency. However, the widespread introduction of energy-saving technologies and environmentally friendly renewable energy sources requires the organization of the port's power supply system on the principle of a microgrid. The paper considers the background and trends in the development of seaport power supply systems. Using the Prisma methodology, the authors provide the analysis of research trends in the field of modern solutions for the sustainable development of seaports. Modern and promising applications of electricity storage systems and control systems based on artificial intelligence are determined within the framework of the zero-emission port concept.
Maritime Policy Using Multilayer CBR
Today’s maritime industry can be described as a supremely crucial and competitive part of the tra... more Today’s maritime industry can be described as a supremely crucial and competitive part of the transportation industry, which in turn is a vital function of the world’s international trade. Major players in the maritime arena have to cope with a variety of problems that require effective action in usually strict deadlines. Formation of maritime policy is a complicated and difficult task due to a number of factors such as the global character of shipping, the multiple bodies that produce policy, the tremendous amount of conventions, laws, regulations, directives, circulars, etc, that already exist, plus the number of stakeholders affected by the policy whose influence must be taken into account by any wise policy maker. These observations served as a motivation to use CBR (Case Based Reasoning) for the development of a hybrid system in policy making. CBR tools are used in a variety of domains such as defense, economy, education, medicine, etc, but little has been done for the maritime industry and especially in policy making. Since policies have a top – down influence and differ significantly in respect of the implementation level, CBR was selectively used in layers in order to have a better vertical penetration in the problem’s structure.
Maritime Simulation Assessment Using Behavioral Framework
CRC Press eBooks, Jun 11, 2013
Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
The European Maritime transport policy has embraced important environmental protection schemes th... more The European Maritime transport policy has embraced important environmental protection schemes that are directly or indirectly connected to shipping and port performance. A comprehensive database on the European Union (EU) environmental policy for the last 30 years has been attempted concerning mainly shipping and ports in terms of mandatory secondary law. The regulatory instruments were classified according to their subject; while, the main patterns were identified and the connections with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) framework were highlighted. The major findings disclose a complementary operation by both IMO and EU.
TransNav, the International Journal on Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation
Over the course of time and under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), ... more Over the course of time and under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), safety at sea has significantly increased. Numerous regulations have been adopted in an effort to increase safety standards onboard ships and reduce the probability of accidents. Unfortunately, abandonment procedures still remain at large inefficient. A very indicative example is provided by the evacuation of Costa Concordia, which lasted more than 6 hours, although the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) dictates this type of operation should not exceed 30 minutes. This research effort aims to provide a clear understanding to the causes behind the inefficiencies and flaws existing in the current evacuation procedures. By deploying a qualitative method, causes behind the accidents and how these can affect the abandonment process will be explored; contributions of the human element and how the psychological/behavioral attributes of people can affect the outcome of an evacuation will be included. Finally, the design of passenger/cruise ships will be discussed in an attempt to identify possible areas of improvement.
Control systems on board ships collect sensor measurements and data from various operational acti... more Control systems on board ships collect sensor measurements and data from various operational activities and display all the relevant information; they also facilitate relaying of control commands to local or remote equipment. Distributed control systems (DCS) are typically used within a single process or generating plant; supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems are used for larger-scale environments. The SCADA system communications infrastructure tends to be slower and less reliable, and so the remote terminal unit in a SCADA system has local control schemes to handle that eventuality. Security in general and cyber security specifically were not the major concerns of early standalone maritime SCADA systems. Security was primarily achieved by controlling physical access to system components, which were unique and used proprietary communication protocols. For years, security in SCADA systems was viewed as just an implication of safety. Over the last decade, however, the situation has changed, and numerous standards/directives dealing with the cyber security of SCADA systems have emerged. Characteristics of maritime SCADA cyber security are discussed; related training needs are identified next. The pedagogical approaches are also presented in order to train seafarers in risk assessment, prevention and mitigation strategies related with maritime SCADA cyber security risks.
The existing procurement process in shipping is paper-based and labor-intensive. Looking to cut c... more The existing procurement process in shipping is paper-based and labor-intensive. Looking to cut costs and improve delivery times, while simultaneously enabling companies to take a more strategic approach to their jobs, an eprocurement framework is proposed to automate and streamline its procurement process by bringing it online. In this paper we present an intranet Web-based electronic procurement infrastructure. The shipping organizational process requirements was fully analyzed and evaluated. The ships as end-users were provided with access to the application taking into account the existing communication cost and restrictions. The logical Architecture is presented including the schema of the databases, the catalog management, the workflow of the purchase order plus the end-users interaction with the procurement system through Web browser. Then the physical architecture is described when security, load simulation and several well known technologies are applied. In all step the shipping environment and its specific characteristics are fully assessed. The application in its pilot implementation (marine engines spare parts procurement) shows that is scaleable, has a supplier integration strategy that met the shipping company's core requirement, is relatively eas y to install, configure and use and can be integrated with ERP.
Journal of Polish Safety and Reliability Association, 2014
The fact that an influenza virus of swine origin unexpectedly became the most recent human pandem... more The fact that an influenza virus of swine origin unexpectedly became the most recent human pandemic virus and that a low pathogenicity avian influenza virus H7N9 is currently causing human health concerns in Asia highlights deficiencies in current influenza pandemic preparedness. With the aim to systematically assess the potential public health threat posed by animal influenza viruses, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has commissioned the FLURISK project. The project"s main objective is the development and validation of a methodological influenza risk assessment framework (IRAF) capable of assessing the pandemic potential of new influenza viruses or viral subtypes emerging in animals. The project developed a prototype spatial epidemiological model which includes both virological and epidemiological components and data input is either generated through different specific activities of the project (global surveys, literature reviews, expert elicitation, etc.) or derived from existing databases (e.g. FAO"s EMPRES-i database; animal species population density by production system from the FAO"s Gridded Livestock of the World). The output of the IRAF model is a list of ranked animal viruses according to their potential to infect humans. Opportunity maps are generated to highlight high risk regions. The project has identified a number of scientific gaps concerning both epidemiological and virological factors potentially influencing the jump between
A methodology for rating and ranking hazards at formal safety assessment using fuzzy logic
Archives of Transport, 2007
Streszczenie angielskie: Formal safety assessment of ships has attracted great attention over the... more Streszczenie angielskie: Formal safety assessment of ships has attracted great attention over the last few years. This paper, following a brief review of the current status of marine safety assessment, is focused on the hazards identification (HAZID) and prioritisation process. A multicriteria decision making framework, which is based on experts' estimation, is then proposed for hazards evaluation. Additionally, in this paper many aspects of the evaluation framework are presented, including: the synthesis of evaluation teams, the ...
The Impact of E-services in a State-owned Airline
Τhe introduction of advanced electronic services to airline operations is a necessity. The forefr... more Τhe introduction of advanced electronic services to airline operations is a necessity. The forefront of these services is the full implementation of e-ticketing which was globally imposed by IATA regulations (Reg. 722H) by May 2008. The launch of these services has provided airlines with several new tools with which to woo customers and to improve customer services in many different areas of operations. Furthermore, the minimization of the operational costs are expected from airlines, implementing these services. However, these services bring a lot of changes to an airline’s daily operation and the whole process of ‘doing business' is being transformed. The relationship between providers, airlines and customers has been changed. Therefore, airlines need to establish the appropriate organizational culture to flourish and take advantage of the benefits. The nature of organizational changes they need to make depend on the nature of their organization. Firms based on a simple organization structures may find it easier to adopt the changes. On the other hand, complex bureaucratic organizations find it more difficult to support the new electronic products and services. In addition, most of airlines outsource these electronic services and face the resistance of their employees. In the paper the authors will examine how the launch of the new electronic services affect scheduled airlines operations and what organizational changes should take place. they will propose a new methodological framework for assessing the impact of the e-services to an airline and for adapting the organizational structure to new technologies.
Opportunities and Challenges in Relation to Big Data Analytics for the Shipping and Port Industries
Springer eBooks, 2023
Смена технологического уклада и Образование 4.0
Izvestiâ Baltijskoj gosudarstvennoj akademii rybopromyslovogo flota, Sep 27, 2022
Рассмотрен подход к разработке содержания изучения учебных предметов и способам познавательной де... more Рассмотрен подход к разработке содержания изучения учебных предметов и способам познавательной деятельности в условиях смены технологического уклада для создания эффективной среды обучения.
International journal of computer applications, Jun 18, 2019
Redundancy in critical control systems and ship's machinery in order to increase safety on ship, ... more Redundancy in critical control systems and ship's machinery in order to increase safety on ship, is necessary in modern ships. The project that was designed, implemented and is presented in this thesis, is trying to increase safety of a board, through the construction of a backup system that is able to control seawater valves. The installed SCADA system does not have a redundant control system for seawater valves which is a disadvantage. Control of the valves is achieved through the ship's installed SCADA system. The SCADA system consists of an HMI, the PLC in which the automation and control of the valves is executed, and the AS-i Bus (Actuator Sensor Interface). AS-i Bus (Network) consists of the AS-i Master (Gateways) that receives data from the PLC, through Profibus protocol and converts it to AS-i protocol in order to send data over AS-i cable to AS-i slaves. It also consists of AS-i cable that transfers data and power to the slaves. In order to create a backup system to control the seawater valves we have to program and install an HMI, a PLC and AS-i Master.The technology of the installed Control & Monitoring System dates back to the first half of 2000. It is a question the compatibility of AS-i modules and PLC that are going to be used with the slave modules that have already been installed in the system.
The Change Process in a State-Owned Airline: the Implementation of New Electronic Services
The present paper examines how new electronic services implemented in a state-owned airline, name... more The present paper examines how new electronic services implemented in a state-owned airline, named Olympic Airlines, and if this had followed the eight phases of change that JP Kotter (1995) suggests. The conclusions of the present may be useful to other airlines and ...
Scientific Journal of Silesian University of Technology. Series Transport
Persons with reduced mobility (PRM) should enjoy the same rights as other people in all life aspe... more Persons with reduced mobility (PRM) should enjoy the same rights as other people in all life aspects, including in terms of travel experience. PRM group is an undeveloped travel market segment, having specific needs that the aviation organizations should satisfy. The facilitation of air travel for PRM should be supported by, among others, clear standards and appropriate regulations and laws. The present study focuses on the European Union (EU) and ASEAN regulatory framework for PRM, presenting various issues and suggesting improvements. The paper is theoretical in nature. It compares various regulations and laws that are implemented in the two Regions, and from thereafter suggestions are generated. The study shows that the European Union has a more efficient regulatory framework that better responds to the transportation chain and the needs of the various groups of PRM. The ASEAN Region can adopt some functional regulations and practices from the European Region. Also, the emphasis ...
Digitalization and Cyber Physical Security Aspects in Maritime Transportation and Port Infrastructure
Studies in National Governance and Emerging Technologies, 2023
Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods for effectively responding to climate change at marine ports
Journal of International Maritime Safety, Environmental Affairs, and Shipping
Marine ports operations are often associated with a variety of externalities, including issues li... more Marine ports operations are often associated with a variety of externalities, including issues like air pollution and noise, among others; there is clearly a negative impact on the working environment and the quality of life of the citizens living next to a port. An effective way to improve the overall situation can be provided by deploying the shore-to-ship electrification method, also known as Cold Ironing. Unfortunately, there is still a disadvantage: there is no holistic approach involved, as the external electrical grid is usually powered by fossil fuels. In a different approach, the zero-emissions port concept uses a smart grid technology framework connected to renewable energy sources and the electrical grid is used only as a backup source in a situation where there is a deficit in power balance. However, an important challenge remains, the conversion to electricity and the efficiency of the converting systems. The use of such sources for commercial electrical supply is only possible with the new "Smart Grid" concept and the use of artificial intelligence (AI). In this paper, an overview of AI methods for smart grid energy management optimization for ports is presented, discussing the potential application of each algorithm to zero-emission port concepts.
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Papers by Nikitas Nikitakos