Autonomous Ships Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

The Autonomous Ships Market Report is Segmented by Autonomy Level (Partially Autonomous, Remotely Controlled, and More), Component (Hardware and Software), Ship Type (Cargo, Passenger, Defense, and More), End User (Commercial, Government and Military), Propulsion (Fully Electric, Hybrid, and Conventional), and Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and More). The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).

Autonomous Ships Market Size and Share

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Autonomous Ships Market Analysis by Mordor Intelligence

The autonomous ships market recorded USD 6.96 billion in 2025 and is forecast to rise to USD 11.25 billion by 2030, reflecting a 10.08% CAGR over 2025-2030. Operator pressure to cut crew‐related expenses, tightening emissions rules, and rapid gains in artificial intelligence propel commercial fleets toward progressively higher automation levels. The IMO’s upcoming Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) Code, national defense spending on unmanned surface vessels, and reliable 5G/LEO satellite links collectively shorten the adoption timetable for ocean-going and littoral vessels. Asia-Pacific remains the principal beneficiary as South Korean, Chinese, and Japanese yards launch technology-laden prototypes. At the same time, the Middle East leverages liberal test corridors and smart-port investments to attract foreign pilots. Competitive activity centers on integrated navigation suites that pair sensor fusion with edge processing, creating attractive retrofit packages for operators unwilling to invest in purpose-built platforms at the outset.

Key Report Takeaways

  • By autonomy level, partially autonomous vessels held 74.35% of the autonomous ships market share in 2024; fully autonomous vessels are projected to post the fastest 19.58% CAGR through 2030.
  • By component, hardware commanded 62.78% revenue in 2024, while software is forecast to accelerate at a 15.45% CAGR to 2030.
  • By ship type, cargo vessels led with 41.12% revenue share in 2024; defense vessels are on track for a 17.80% CAGR, the highest across categories.
  • By end user, commercial operators accounted for 70.50% of expenditure in 2024, but government and military customers will expand spending at a 15.74% CAGR.
  • By propulsion, conventional systems captured 81.40% of the autonomous ships market size in 2024; fully electric solutions are estimated to climb at a 18.56% CAGR.
  • By geography, Asia-Pacific secured the largest 38.98% slice in 2024, whereas the Middle East and Africa segment is poised for a 14.01% CAGR to 2030.

Segment Analysis

By Autonomy Level: Gradual evolution toward full autonomy

Partially autonomous systems claimed 74.35% of revenue in 2024, evidence that shipowners prefer step-wise enhancements allowing bridge crews to oversee automated collision avoidance and dynamic positioning. Fully autonomous craft, while representing only a sliver of today’s autonomous ships market, are pacing the expansion with a 19.58% CAGR. DARPA’s crewless Defiant backdrop confirms that eliminating accommodation blocks frees payload and cuts OpEx. The IMO’s four-stage taxonomy guides retrofits as operators move from on-board support to remote supervision and finally to unmanned routes. Growing regulatory clarity and falling sensor costs indicate an inflection point where fully autonomous voyages transition from pilot projects to liner schedules.

Autonomous technology providers bundle shore control, encrypted links, and digital fleet twins into subscription packages that offset upfront hardware expense. Remote operator training curricula are emerging, creating new maritime career paths. Insurance underwriters increasingly separate partial and full autonomy risk pools, reinforcing the capex case for fuller automation in predictable trades. As more autonomous ships market participants collect operational data, confidence in long-haul unmanned passages will mount, gradually shifting the majority share toward higher autonomy tiers by the late 2020s.

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Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Component: Software innovation drives hardware integration

Hardware still anchors 62.78% of 2024 spend because radar arrays, integrated bridges, and propulsion controls remain compulsory for safe operations. Yet software revenues are growing almost three times faster as machine-learning models ingest terabytes of hydro-meteorological data to deliver route recommendations at the edge. Companies such as L3Harris ship AMORPHOUS C2 suites that orchestrate entire flotillas from a single console, an efficiency play that captivates fleet managers. Hardware OEMs now publish application programming interfaces so third parties can update perception or path-planning modules without replacing sensors, lowering operator lifecycle costs.

Standardized open-architecture kits encourage retrofit business, a segment that could eclipse newbuild packages once the autonomous ships market size for upgrades passes the USD 3 billion mark after 2028. Meanwhile, venture-backed firms exploit cloud-based simulation to shorten validation time. As fleets convert raw logs into structured training sets, software developers can iterate on behaviour trees with minimal sea trials, accelerating performance improvements and cementing code as the main value driver.

By Ship Type: Defense growth outpaces cargo dominance

Cargo platforms held 41.12% of 2024 sales, leveraging fixed routes and predictable duty cycles. Defense operators, however, account for the steepest 17.80% CAGR because navies seek distributed, risk-tolerant assets. The US Navy’s Hell Hounds squadron and Australia’s decision to acquire six optionally crewed surface vessels underscore the momentum. Military customers often accept higher per-unit costs if autonomy extends mission endurance or lowers personnel exposure. Cargo owners, by contrast, stress ROI through fuel savings, smaller crews, and avoiding weather delays.

Passenger and offshore vessels remain cautious adopters due to safety standards and public perception, but limited-capacity ferries in the Nordics hint at eventual uptake. Special-purpose craft, from hydrographic surveyors to offshore wind maintenance drones, benefit from the ability to loiter unattended for weeks, an operational edge that enlarges the autonomous ships market size for niche roles.

By End User: Commercial domination with rising government appetite

Commercial fleets captured 70.50% of 2024 revenue because global liner networks have immediate cost-cutting incentives. Fleet operators integrate autonomy primarily for route optimisation and crew-reduction economics. Government buyers, especially defense, are scaling budgets at 15.74% CAGR as geopolitical frictions nudge navies toward unmanned patrol and surveillance. Dual-use platforms narrow the civil-military divide; a harbor security drone at dawn may shift to cargo inspection by noon.

Public-private consortia stretch R&D budgets by combining test data, accelerating safety case validation, and helping regulators issue broader exemptions. Military influence on component commonality will likely lower unit costs for civilian adopters, further widening the autonomous ships market.

Autonomous_Ships_end_user
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Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Propulsion: Electric systems drive decarbonization

Conventional diesel installations dominate with an 81.40% share, mainly because they underpin long-haul voyages where battery energy density falls short. Even so, fully electric units are tracking an 18.56% CAGR, helped by port electrification and tighter emission caps on near-shore routes. Norway's battery ferries, the Yara Birkeland's cargo runs, and Wärtsilä's hybrids illustrate traction. Hybrid architectures provide a transition path, shaving bunkers in open waters and switching to silent electric mode in emission-control areas.

Fuel-cell demonstrators burning green hydrogen or ammonia are in build slots for delivery before decade-end. As the autonomous ships market share for alternative fuels grows, propulsion suppliers integrate energy-management logic directly into autonomy stacks, optimising state-of-charge against waypoint ETAs.

Geography Analysis

Asia-Pacific posted 38.98% revenue share in 2024, thanks to manufacturing depth, coordinated government grants, and success stories such as Samsung Heavy Industries’ unmanned 1,500 km voyage.[2]Samsung Heavy Industries, “Successful 1,500 km Autonomous Voyage,” samsungshi.com China’s Jin Dou Yun 0 Hao saved 20% on construction and 15% on fuel burn versus conventional peers, validating cost-benefit assumptions. Japan’s MEGURI2040 coalition demonstrates the region’s systemic approach, aligning yards, telecoms, and software start-ups under common test corridors.

The Middle East and Africa segment is expanding at the fastest 14.01% CAGR. The UAE green-lit Fugro’s Pegasus, the first over-the-horizon USV on its registry, and Abu Dhabi ports pilot smart-tug operations. Dubai’s bespoke controls for remotely piloted craft reduce bureaucratic friction, making the Gulf an attractive sandbox for global vendors.

Due to Norway's trailblazing battery ferries and proactive class-society engagement, Europe retains a notable slice of the autonomous ships market. The EU’s concurrent AI and maritime safety rules aim to anchor global standards. North America—underpinned by US Navy outlays, Canadian Arctic logistics and Silicon Valley’s connectivity ecosystems—remains influential. The convergence of defense and civil deployments in these regions provides a reinforcing feedback loop: defense funds prime early R&D, and commercial operators adopt matured components at lower unit costs.

Autonomous Ships Market_Growth Rate by Region
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Competitive Landscape

The market exhibits moderate concentration. Kongsberg AB’s end-to-end stack, showcased on the fully electric Yara Birkeland, anchors its leading position. Wärtsilä couples hybrid powertrains with digital ship controls, signing multi-year service deals that generate recurring revenue. ABB’s pivot from propulsion electrics to full autonomy underscores a vertical-integration race.

L3Harris has delivered more than 450 unmanned craft across domains and fields a multi-vessel control suite, giving it scale economies and a growing software annuity. Niche challengers such as Sea Machines Robotics focus on plug-and-play kits for tugs and barges, while Marine AI sells perception modules that bolt onto third-party sensors. Connectivity aggregators—KVH Industries and Intellian—build lock-in by bundling VSAT, Starlink, and 5G routers into managed-service contracts.[3]KVH Industries, “Hybrid VSAT-Starlink Solution for Pacific Basin,” kvh.com

Strategic moves include Kongsberg AB’s tie-up with Samsung Heavy on LNG carriers, Wärtsilä’s EUR 200 million (USD 231.16 million) pool for zero-emission power modules, and ABB’s hybrid coastal cargo demonstrator. Entry barriers rise as regulators insist on end-to-end safety cases spanning code, hardware, and communications. Incumbents exploit legacy certificates and service networks, defending share even as software-first entrants win retrofit deals.

Autonomous Ships Industry Leaders

  1. Kongsberg Gruppen ASA

  2. Rolls-Royce plc

  3. Wärtsilä Corporation

  4. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.

  5. BAE Systems plc

  6. *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
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Recent Industry Developments

  • February 2024: Türkiye's Tersan Shipyard secured a contract from Norwegian ferry operator Fjord1 AS to build four battery-powered autonomous double-ended ferries.
  • May 2023: Kongsberg Maritime (Kongsberg Gruppen ASA) demonstrated remote and autonomous technologies on a cargo vessel along Norway's coast. The demonstration was recognized as one of the most advanced autonomous navigation tests conducted at sea.

Table of Contents for Autonomous Ships Industry Report

1. INTRODUCTION

  • 1.1 Study Assumptions and Market Definition
  • 1.2 Scope of the Study

2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

4. MARKET LANDSCAPE

  • 4.1 Market Overview
  • 4.2 Market Drivers
    • 4.2.1 Data-driven fleet optimization and remote operations
    • 4.2.2 Decarbonization and fuel efficiency
    • 4.2.3 Demand for advanced situational-awareness suites
    • 4.2.4 Development of next-generation autonomous vessels
    • 4.2.5 Defense push for unmanned surface vessels in navies
    • 4.2.6 Edge-AI and 5G/LEO connectivity breakthroughs enabling real-time vessel autonomy
  • 4.3 Market Restraints
    • 4.3.1 Cyber-security vulnerabilities of remote navigation stacks
    • 4.3.2 Regulatory fragmentation and flag-state variance
    • 4.3.3 High retrofit capital outlay
    • 4.3.4 Marine-insurance and liability uncertainties
  • 4.4 Value Chain Analysis
  • 4.5 Regulatory Outlook
  • 4.6 Technological Outlook
  • 4.7 Porter's Five Forces Analysis
    • 4.7.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers
    • 4.7.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers/Consumers
    • 4.7.3 Threat of New Entrants
    • 4.7.4 Threat of Substitute Products
    • 4.7.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry

5. MARKET SIZE AND GROWTH FORECASTS (VALUE)

  • 5.1 By Autonomy Level
    • 5.1.1 Partially Autonomous
    • 5.1.2 Remotely Controlled
    • 5.1.3 Fully Autonomous
  • 5.2 By Component
    • 5.2.1 Hardware
    • 5.2.2 Software
  • 5.3 By Ship Type
    • 5.3.1 Cargo
    • 5.3.2 Passenger
    • 5.3.3 Offshore Support and Energy
    • 5.3.4 Defense
    • 5.3.5 Special Purpose
  • 5.4 By End User
    • 5.4.1 Commercial
    • 5.4.2 Government and Military
  • 5.5 By Propulsion
    • 5.5.1 Fully Electric
    • 5.5.2 Hybrid
    • 5.5.3 Conventional
  • 5.6 By Geography
    • 5.6.1 North America
    • 5.6.1.1 United States
    • 5.6.1.2 Canada
    • 5.6.1.3 Mexico
    • 5.6.2 Europe
    • 5.6.2.1 United Kingdom
    • 5.6.2.2 Germany
    • 5.6.2.3 France
    • 5.6.2.4 Italy
    • 5.6.2.5 Russia
    • 5.6.2.6 Rest of Europe
    • 5.6.3 Asia-Pacific
    • 5.6.3.1 China
    • 5.6.3.2 India
    • 5.6.3.3 Japan
    • 5.6.3.4 South Korea
    • 5.6.3.5 Australia
    • 5.6.3.6 Rest of Asia-Pacific
    • 5.6.4 South America
    • 5.6.4.1 Brazil
    • 5.6.4.2 Rest of South America
    • 5.6.5 Middle East and Africa
    • 5.6.5.1 Middle East
    • 5.6.5.1.1 Saudi Arabia
    • 5.6.5.1.2 United Arab Emirates
    • 5.6.5.1.3 Rest of Middle East
    • 5.6.5.2 Africa
    • 5.6.5.2.1 South Africa
    • 5.6.5.2.2 Rest of Africa

6. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

  • 6.1 Market Concentration
  • 6.2 Strategic Moves
  • 6.3 Market Share Analysis
  • 6.4 Company Profiles (includes Global level Overview, Market level overview, Core Segments, Financials as available, Strategic Information, Market Rank/Share for key companies, Products and Services, and Recent Developments)
    • 6.4.1 ABB Ltd.
    • 6.4.2 BAE Systems plc
    • 6.4.3 DNV AS
    • 6.4.4 Fugro NV
    • 6.4.5 Hanwha Corporation
    • 6.4.6 HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.
    • 6.4.7 Kongsberg Gruppen ASA
    • 6.4.8 L3Harris Technologies, Inc.
    • 6.4.9 Marine AI Ltd.
    • 6.4.10 MITSUI E&S Group
    • 6.4.11 Praxis Automation Technology B.V.
    • 6.4.12 Rolls-Royce plc
    • 6.4.13 Sea Machines Robotics, Inc.
    • 6.4.14 Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.
    • 6.4.15 Wärtsilä Corporation
    • 6.4.16 Vigor Industrial LLC

7. MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE OUTLOOK

  • 7.1 White-space and Unmet-Need Assessment
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Global Autonomous Ships Market Report Scope

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) defined maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) as a ship that, to a varying degree, can operate independently of human interaction. It identified four degrees of autonomy in ships, which are defined as follows: Degree one: A ship that is operated by seafarers with some of the processes automated. Degree two: Remotely controlled ship, controlled and operated from a different location with seafarers on board. Degree three: Remotely controlled ship, controlled and operated from a different location without seafarers on board. Degree four: Fully autonomous ship with an operating system that will make decisions and determine actions by itself. The military segment of the market study includes autonomous ships and unmanned surface vehicles.

The autonomous ships market is segmented by type, application, and geography. By type, the market is segmented into partially autonomous, remotely controlled ships, and fully autonomous. By application, the market is segmented into commercial and military. The report also covers the market sizes and forecasts for the autonomous ships market in major countries across different regions. For each segment, the market size is provided in terms of value (USD).

By Autonomy Level Partially Autonomous
Remotely Controlled
Fully Autonomous
By Component Hardware
Software
By Ship Type Cargo
Passenger
Offshore Support and Energy
Defense
Special Purpose
By End User Commercial
Government and Military
By Propulsion Fully Electric
Hybrid
Conventional
By Geography North America United States
Canada
Mexico
Europe United Kingdom
Germany
France
Italy
Russia
Rest of Europe
Asia-Pacific China
India
Japan
South Korea
Australia
Rest of Asia-Pacific
South America Brazil
Rest of South America
Middle East and Africa Middle East Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
Rest of Middle East
Africa South Africa
Rest of Africa
By Autonomy Level
Partially Autonomous
Remotely Controlled
Fully Autonomous
By Component
Hardware
Software
By Ship Type
Cargo
Passenger
Offshore Support and Energy
Defense
Special Purpose
By End User
Commercial
Government and Military
By Propulsion
Fully Electric
Hybrid
Conventional
By Geography
North America United States
Canada
Mexico
Europe United Kingdom
Germany
France
Italy
Russia
Rest of Europe
Asia-Pacific China
India
Japan
South Korea
Australia
Rest of Asia-Pacific
South America Brazil
Rest of South America
Middle East and Africa Middle East Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
Rest of Middle East
Africa South Africa
Rest of Africa
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Key Questions Answered in the Report

What was the autonomous ships market size in 2025?

The autonomous ships market size reached USD 6.96 billion in 2025.

Which segment grows fastest through 2030?

Fully autonomous vessels are forecast to register the quickest 19.58% CAGR over 2025-2030.

Why is Asia-Pacific the largest regional market?

Asia-Pacific dominates because South Korea, China and Japan combine strong shipbuilding capacity with generous government backing for autonomous trials.

How do autonomous ships support decarbonization targets?

Autonomy optimizes speed and power management, making battery-electric or hybrid propulsion viable on short-sea routes and trimming fuel burn on long-haul voyages.

What are the main regulatory hurdles?

Fragmented flag-state rules and cybersecurity frameworks remain unresolved, slowing large-scale commercial deployment along international routes.

Who are the key players shaping competitive dynamics?

Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, Wärtsilä Corporation, Rolls-Royce plc, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and BAE Systems plc lead current deployments, while telecom and satellite providers hold strategic importance for reliable connectivity.

Page last updated on: June 16, 2025

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