Remote piloting, a threat or a possibility in the future?

The development of technology creates innovations and opportunities for more efficient and safer operation in various industries. The Finnish legislation provides a possibility to experiment remote piloting in maritime shipping, the aim of which is to improve the safety and efficiency of pilotage and to promote technological experiments over time. Remote piloting is a relatively new thing in Finland, to which Finland's coast with its archipelagos and narrow waterways will certainly bring challenges. The intention in my thesis was to study the possible challenges and opportunities remote piloting will bring in the future. Is it a threat or an opportunity? By gathering information and material, studying accident cases, and reflecting my own experience in shipping, I aimed to create an idea of the challenges and opportunities that remote piloting will face in the future. Based on the material I received and viewed, many experts had the opinion that the remote pilotage can be tried on specific routes in Finland. Ships carrying dangerous goods should not be included in the experiment at all. Cyber security has also become a major topic of discussion. Is the cyber security of the equipment at a level that remote piloting is safe at all? When considering cyber security, the potential risks must be considered, and due to the cyber attacks from different reasons, the importance of cyber security will certainly increase. However, it is a question of human, ship, and environmental safety. Remote piloting will certainly be possible in the future, at least to some extent, if successful experiments can be carried out and information gathered on what still needs to be developed. But I think that in every case that is being developed or is being introduced, the safety of people and the environment must come first