European and Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems 2009 (EMCIS2009) July 13-14 2009, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Izmir Georgios Dourmas and Nikitas Nikitakos A New Approach to the Digital Maritime Economy 1 A NEW APPROACH TO THE DIGITAL MARITIME ECONOMY Georgios Dourmas, Dept. of Shipping Trade and Transport, University of the Aegean, GREECE g.dourmas@aegean.gr Nikitas Nikitakos, Dept. of Shipping Trade and Transport, University of the Aegean, GREECE nnik@aegean.gr Abstract In the maritime industry today we observe various attempts to adopt new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) at all aspects of maritime businesses such as shipping operations, commercial transactions, safety and security at sea, maritime environmental protection. Additionally great efforts are made in order integrate applications and provide value- added services using e-business practices. This strategic choice generates a Digital Maritime Economy which is related to non-traditional approaches through innovative software application development and use by shipping companies in a dynamic business ecosystem. The approach imposes their transformation in species of a Digital Business Ecosystem (DBE) by adopting a multi-disciplinary methods based on biology and e-business models. The paper starts with a discussion of the literature about ecosystems, considering the relevant theoretical background in creating the digital counterpart of a biological ecosystem. Next the potential DBE concept applied in shipping sector is considered. Finally, implementation of DBE concept in shipping through a conceptual model of a business platform supporting e-services is presented. Keywords: digital maritime economy, digital business ecosystem, e-services, business platform. 1 Introduction In the new economic environment, many otherwise great business fail, because the context around them changes, rending them unimportant or obsolete. The new paradigm requires thinking in terms of whole systems - that is, seeing every single business as part of a wider economic ecosystem and environment. The biology often seems excessive to a business analyst, but it serves an indispensable purpose. Biological examples are quite simply the most direct way to explain difficult systems concepts. Each time someone master a biological example, he learns a system concept that will be valuable for comprehending the dynamics of business in the new economy (Moore 1997). New economy is determined from new technologies evolution and ICTs adoption at business processes. As a result, in many industries the traditional firm is being pushed aside by more effective and competitive Internet-based models of value creation (Tapscott 1996). As maritime sector services the demand for transportation in a global basis is a challenge for shipping industry to achieve widespread and effective take-up of ICTs in order to enable shipping companies to become more innovative and competitive in global market. “Widespread” means that technology take-up actions must address every shipping company according to the charter market features it operates within, while “effective” means that the actions must reflect the company‟s particular circumstances and needs (Dourmas et al. June 2005).