The Marine sector is one of the most crucial industries in the world as 98% of the goods we use are at some point shipped between different countries.

More importantly, the radical development in marine technology has not only help safeguard the industry but has made it more efficient and easier to track.

Figure 1
Figure 1 - Automatic Identification System (AIS) technology by SRT Reuters

Speaking exclusively to IBTimes TV, Software Radio Technology's (SRT) CEO Simon Tucker explains how the aviation industry should harness some of the marine sector's development in technology, especially in light of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370, to better track their aircraft and cargo.

Shipping also hit the headlines recently when a collision between two cargo ships in waters outside Tokyo Bay resulted in a death and with eight others missing, however Automatic Identification System (AIS) technology has allowed authorities to see exactly what went wrong.

Tucker also explains how and why the Panama-registered Beagle III sank as well as how technology actually provides enough warning signs to stop this from occurring more often.

Both these vessels are required by maritime law to have an operational AIS transceiver which constantly transmits their identity, position, course, speed, rate of turn [Figure 1].

When they collided, both vessels had their transceivers on and fully operational.