Interview with Tore Morten Olsen, Head of Maritime at Marlink – navigating the convergence of multi-orbit connectivity, edge computing, and operational cybersecurity.
In an era defined by stringent decarbonization targets and escalating digital demands, maritime communications have evolved from a basic compliance utility into the foundational nervous system of modern commercial shipping. In this comprehensive exchange, Tore Morten Olsen, breaks down how the proliferation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations, edge computing architectures like XChange NextGen, and evolving regulatory frameworks such as IACS UR E26/E27 are reshaping fleet management. From bridging the gap between corporate IT and shipboard Operational Technology (OT) to resolving the industry’s ongoing crew retention crisis through office-grade connectivity, Olsen outlines the blueprint for navigating the next wave of maritime digitalization.
Section I: The Bandwidth Revolution & Hybrid Connectivity
Moving Past Historical Constraints
Bunker Market: Shipping has traditionally operated under strict data rationing where every byte had to be justified. How fundamentally has the satcom landscape shifted with the proliferation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations?
Tore Morten Olsen: We have crossed the threshold from managing limitations to exploring possibilities. For decades, maritime communications were constrained by high latency and limited throughput. Today, with LEO services integrated alongside Geostationary (GEO) and terrestrial networks, those traditional bandwidth constraints have been significantly reduced. Ships can now experience office-like connectivity, opening up a new world of possibilities through always-on, high-bandwidth communications. This enables operators to make greater use of cloud applications, real-time data exchange and remote support, while improving operational efficiency and the digital experience for crews.
The Power of a Multi-Constellation Strategy
Bunker Market: With multiple orbit options available, from GEO and MEO to LEO, why is a managed hybrid network approach critical for modern shipowners rather than relying on a single plug-and-play satellite connection?
Tore Morten Olsen: No single network, service or technology can meet every operational requirement across a vessel’s trading pattern. LEO has transformed maritime connectivity, but performance, coverage and availability still vary by region, route and operating conditions. A managed hybrid approach combines multiple LEO constellations with GEO and terrestrial services, dynamically selecting networks based on performance, coverage and availability. For shipowners, this delivers resilience and service continuity without the complexity of managing multiple providers: one managed service, one point of contact and one commercial framework for multiple LEO services. The value is not simply access to more networks, but having them integrated and intelligently orchestrated as a single connectivity environment.
Section II: Edge Computing and Ship-to-Shore Data Flow
Overcoming the Data Management Bottleneck
Bunker Market: As vessels generate massive volumes of sensor and operational data, transmitting everything raw back to shore can choke satellite pipelines and raise costs. How does edge computing solve this dilemma?
Tore Morten Olsen: Transmitting large volumes of raw, high-frequency data continuously over satellite links is often unnecessary and inefficient. Edge computing enables applications to process, aggregate and store data onboard, closer to where it is generated, so that only the information required ashore needs to be transmitted. XChange NextGen provides the modular onboard edge platform on which these applications and Marlink’s network, cloud and cybersecurity capabilities can be hosted. Marlink’s network capabilities can then prioritise critical operational traffic over less time-sensitive data across the vessel-to-shore connection. This helps optimise bandwidth usage, supports faster onboard decision-making and ensures shore teams receive the most relevant information.
Unlocking Efficiency Through Cloud Integration
Bunker Market: How does bridging shipboard systems directly with cloud-based performance platforms support more efficient voyage execution and fuel management?
Tore Morten Olsen: When you remove the friction between ship and shore, you enable real-time collaboration. Fleet managers, technical superintendents and ship masters can work from the same synchronised data on weather routing, engine performance and carbon intensity. This supports smarter decisions around speed optimisation, Just-In-Time arrivals and bunker management, helping reduce fuel consumption and improve CII performance. We are already enabling this kind of digitalisation for customers where resilient connectivity supports real-time optimisation of routes, speeds and fuel consumption across its global fleet. Over time, aggregating data in the cloud can also reveal longer-term trends, enabling deeper voyage and fleet optimisation.
Section III: Navigating Onboard Digital Ecosystem Complexity
Managing the Multi-Vendor Onboard Environment
Bunker Market: Modern vessels host a chaotic mix of navigation software, engine automation, IoT sensors, and crew networks provided by dozens of different vendors. How can shipowners manage this growing digital complexity?
Tore Morten Olsen: Maritime digitalisation has developed through many different vendors and applications, often introduced to solve individual tasks. As that ecosystem grows, consolidation and standardisation become increasingly important to avoid adding complexity onboard and across fleets. XChange NextGen provides a common, application-agnostic edge platform where connectivity, network management, cyber security, cloud services and applications can be integrated and managed within a scalable environment. The aim is to simplify digitalisation while still giving shipowners the flexibility to choose and evolve the applications they need.
The Role of Managed Services in an “As-a-Service” Era
Bunker Market: With shipping shifting toward software- and platform-as-a-service models, why is a managed service provider model essential for handling this transition?
Tore Morten Olsen: As maritime technology becomes more complex, shipowners should not have to manage multiple networks, technology providers, contracts and billing arrangements themselves. A managed service provider brings these together through a single point of contact, with one commercial framework and consolidated billing. Marlink manages the integration and orchestration behind the scenes, giving operators a simpler, more predictable way to adopt and scale new digital services across their fleets.
Section IV: Cybersecurity and Operational Resilience
The Escalating Cyber Threat Landscape
Bunker Market: As ships become fully connected digital hubs, the attack surface expands exponentially. What are the most common vulnerabilities you see across commercial fleets today?
Tore Morten Olsen: Our Cyber Intelligence Report for Remote Operations 2026 released earlier this year showed that the greatest cyber risks are often systemic rather than highly sophisticated attacks. Compromised credentials, weak access controls and human behaviour remain significant vulnerabilities, particularly as vessels and shore teams become more connected. The priority therefore has to be securing identities and access, building cyber awareness among users, and applying consistent security policies across the fleet, not simply adding more security technology.
From IT to OT: Securing Operational Technology
Bunker Market: There is often a wide gap between protecting corporate IT networks and securing shipboard Operational Technology (OT) like navigation and engine control systems. How does Marlink bridge that divide?
Tore Morten Olsen: OT security requires a different approach because these systems control physical processes such as navigation, propulsion and cargo handling, where disruption can affect safety and operational continuity. Our approach starts with understanding what is connected, how OT assets communicate and where vulnerabilities exist. We then combine OT-native technology, passive monitoring and safeguards with specialist expertise and 24/7 managed security, helping detect and contain threats without compromising critical vessel operations.
Building a Culture of Security Onboard
Bunker Market: Technology alone cannot stop a cyberattack if human error opens the door. How is Marlink helping shipowners cultivate a strong security culture among seafarers?
Tore Morten Olsen: Security culture is about making cyber awareness part of everyday operations. Our 2026 Cyber Intelligence Report found that 20% of users clicked malicious links in phishing simulations, while only 11% reported incidents. That highlights the importance of targeted awareness programmes that help crews recognise suspicious activity, understand the potential operational consequences and, crucially, know when and how to report it. Combined with the right technical controls, that creates a much stronger first line of defence.
Section V: Flexible Platforms, Crew Retention, and the Economics of Tech
Moving from Rigid Bundles to Flexible Edge Platforms
Bunker Market: Historically, maritime digital services were sold as rigid, one-size-fits-all bundles. How is Marlink’s approach, utilizing edge cloud platforms like XChange NextGen, changing how shipowners curate their onboard tech stack?
Tore Morten Olsen: Today, shipowners require flexibility to choose and combine specific digital solutions as their commercial or regulatory needs evolve. That is exactly the thinking behind Marlink’s Possibility Platform, which brings together connectivity, network, cyber security, cloud & IT and IIoT & applications within an integrated, modular framework. XChange NextGen extends that flexibility to the vessel edge, providing an open, application-agnostic environment where operators can integrate and scale the applications they need without being locked into proprietary hardware or a single technology stack.
Shifting Mindsets: Why Shipowners Are More Willing to Invest in Tech
Bunker Market: Maritime has historically been viewed as a conservative, cost-sensitive market when it comes to technology investments. Are you seeing a fundamental shift in how owners evaluate the ROI of digital tools?
Tore Morten Olsen: The attitude toward spending on tech has transformed dramatically because the cost of not investing is now visibly higher. When shipowners look at tightening carbon regulations, expensive fuel penalties, and the sheer operational gains delivered by high-speed hybrid connectivity, the financial justification becomes clear. Technology is no longer seen as an optional overhead cost, but as an indispensable lever for commercial competitiveness and risk mitigation.
Crew Welfare as a Core Operational Strategy
Bunker Market: Beyond vessel performance and fuel efficiency, crew retention is a massive crisis in global shipping. How does high-speed multi-orbit connectivity directly impact the human element onboard?
Tore Morten Olsen: Reliable, high-speed connectivity has become an important part of life at sea, enabling crews to stay connected with family, access digital services and enjoy entertainment during long periods away from home. With LEO helping deliver a more shore-like digital experience, connectivity is increasingly important to crew welfare and retention. A good onboard experience can influence whether seafarers choose to return to the same vessel or operator, helping shipowners attract and retain skilled crews in a competitive labour market.
Part VI: The Future Outlook & Industry Evolution
Preparing for Stricter Regulatory Scrutiny
Bunker Market: Regulatory bodies and class societies are tightening cyber rules and mandating robust safety management frameworks. How are these mandates reshaping shipowners’ budgets?
Tore Morten Olsen: Cyber security is increasingly becoming a defined compliance requirement rather than a discretionary investment. OT security is a good example: shipowners now need to address requirements such as IACS UR E26 for the cyber resilience of ships, while onboard systems and equipment are covered by UR E27. This means budgets increasingly need to account for identifying and assessing OT assets, addressing vulnerabilities, and maintaining appropriate protection and monitoring. The result is a shift from periodic cyber investment towards security as an ongoing operational requirement.
The Next Wave: Multi-LEO and Intelligent Orchestration
Bunker Market: Looking toward the horizon over the next year or two, what major technological milestones will define the next phase of maritime digitalization?
Tore Morten Olsen: The next phase will be defined not simply by more bandwidth, but by more choice. As new LEO capacity enters the market, shipowners will have access to an increasingly diverse connectivity ecosystem. Marlink is network-agnostic and works across providers, so our role is to integrate and intelligently orchestrate those networks based on performance, coverage and availability. The real opportunity is to turn greater choice into resilience, consistent performance and a simpler managed connectivity experience for fleets worldwide.
About Marlink
Marlink is a prominent global managed service provider and a leader in remote Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions, tailored specifically for enterprises operating in the world’s most challenging and isolated environments. The company’s extensive footprint spans multiple critical sectors, including merchant shipping, offshore and onshore energy operations, humanitarian organizations, megayachts, and the cruise industry.
Key Corporate Metrics
- Financial Footprint: Annual revenues exceeding $800 million, providing long-term financial stability to fund ongoing research and development (R&D).
- Global Workforce: Over 1,500 employees operating across more than 30 countries, including specialized teams of field service engineers and over 150 dedicated cybersecurity experts.
- Operational Scale: Manages more than 11,000 active end-to-end solutions globally, backed by a 75-year legacy of network innovation.
The “Possibility Platform” and Service Architecture
Marlink organizes its technology stack through its unified Possibility Platform, an ecosystem designed to optimize remote industrial infrastructure, eliminate operational fragmentation, and mitigate digital risk. The portfolio comprises five core pillars:
- Connectivity: Carrier-agnostic routing leveraging multi-orbit satellite networks (LEO, GEO, and MSS backup), alongside terrestrial fiber, 4G/5G cellular, and microwave technologies.
- Network Solutions: Fully orchestrated routing, bandwidth optimization, and intelligent traffic management via proprietary tools like the XChange NextGen platform.
- Cyber Security: Proactive, multi-layered digital defense managed via 24/7 global Security Operations Centers (SOCs), featuring specialized maritime IT/OT threat detection and regulatory compliance frameworks.
- Cloud & IT: Managed onboard and shore-side IT services offering direct, low-latency entry to major cloud environments like Microsoft Azure.
- IIoT & Applications: Industrial Internet of Things data acquisition and AI-powered data intelligence tools (developed through strategic partnerships like Metis) to facilitate real-time telemetry streaming and emissions monitoring.
Global Infrastructure & Support
Marlink’s physical infrastructure includes strategic Points of Presence (PoPs), fully owned teleports (such as the upgraded Eik Teleport facility), and around-the-clock Network Operations Centers (NOCs) to maintain stringent service level agreements (SLAs) for global fleets and remote asset operators.
Source: Marlink