The European maritime industry is facing various difficulties. The reduction of European flagged tonnage has reduced career opportunities in the industry, and consequently recruitment has been difficult and insufficient to meet industry needs. There has been strong price competition leading to an emphasis on cost reduction, which puts at risk current efforts to improve safety, quality and environmental performance. New technologies such as advanced information systems could radically change operations, creating a challenge for change management in a sector that is strongly influenced by tradition and by owner-operators. Therefore, there is a need to identify new ways of working that could address these problem areas.