ClassNK CEO Hayato Suga Sees Class Evolving with AI

For ClassNK President and CEO Hayato Suga, the industry’s current moment is unlike anything he has seen in his career.

Ask Suga to identify the single most consequential technical trend shaping future ship design and operations, and he answers without hesitation: AI.

AI can improve risk prediction, enhance safety assessments, optimize environmental performance, streamline surveys, and fundamentally change how technical services are delivered.

Internally, ClassNK is already using generic AI tools to improve workforce productivity and operational efficiency. But Suga’s ambitions go further. 

The organization is developing more specialized maritime-focused AI applications designed to support both internal workflows and client services.
Suga sees the organization entering a period where responsiveness itself becomes a competitive differentiator.

For Suga, classification is evolving beyond its traditional role as a certifier toward becoming a faster, more integrated technical decision-support partner.

That evolution is being reinforced structurally. This year, ClassNK established a dedicated Digital Division, reflecting the belief that emerging technologies, particularly AI, will reshape both shipping and classification itself.

The June issue of Maritime Reporter magazine features an in-depth interview with ClassNK’s President and CEO Hayato Suga by Greg Trauthwein.