Interview with Peter Mantel, Chief Commercial Officer at Theyr: The Next Evolution of Voyage Optimisation

Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important part of shipping, but according to Peter Mantel, Chief Commercial Officer at Theyr, the industry’s biggest challenge is not the technology itself. It is building trust in the systems, improving the quality of operational data and giving crews and operators the confidence to make better-informed decisions. In the latest episode of CN Talks , Antonia Saratsopoulou, Managing Editor of Container News, spoke with Mantel about the evolution of voyage optimisation, the limitations of traditional noon reporting, the growing importance of high-frequency vessel data and why the future of voyage planning lies in balancing operational, commercial and environmental priorities through explainable technology. Trust, not technology is the biggest challenge Mantel sees strong parallels between today’s adoption of AI-powered voyage optimisation and the maritime industry’s transition from paper charts to Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS). Although ECDIS offered clear operational and safety benefits, its adoption was gradual because mariners first needed to trust the technology.