As the maritime industry accelerates its digital transformation, one reality remains constant: safety still depends heavily on human performance on the bridge.
To better understand how this challenge can be addressed, we spoke with Hrvoje Mihovilović, Founder & CEO of ELNAV.AI, who shared the vision behind the company and how it is developing technology to support crews in real time—before small issues escalate into critical incidents.
In this article, you will find ⬇️
🔹The journey from sea experience to safety innovation
🔹Why human factor risk remains a critical challenge
🔹How Helm Order Monitor improves bridge communication
🔹How Aware Mate enhances vigilance
🔹Why privacy and partnerships are key to adoption
From Sea Experience to a Clear Mission
ELNAV.AI was born from years of firsthand experience at sea—and a critical observation.
“Some of the most serious risks in shipping still sit in the human layer. We have strong equipment, procedures, alarms, and reporting, but fatigue, distraction, loss of alertness, and miscommunication still find their way onto the bridge.”
Despite technological progress, incidents often follow a familiar pattern.
“Very often, the industry detects the problem after the near miss, not before it.”
For Hrvoje Mihovilović, this gap highlighted the need for a different approach—one focused on prevention rather than post-event analysis.
“I wanted to build practical tools that help bridge teams earlier, while the situation is still recoverable.”
At its core, the mission is not automation—it is support.
Why Human Factor Risk Still Persists
One of the key challenges in maritime safety is that technology has advanced faster than the way human performance is supported.
“The bridge is still a place of workload, time pressure, repeated tasks, communication demands, and changing conditions.”
Even in well-run operations, being present does not always mean being fully alert.
“A watchkeeper can be present and responsive without being fully alert. That is a very important distinction”.
At the same time, the nature of bridge work has evolved, becoming more screen-based and sedentary.
“Fatigue can develop quietly, attention can narrow, and small distractions can grow into larger problems if nobody catches them early.”
Most systems today remain reactive.
“Many existing systems are still better at confirming presence, or helping reconstruct events later, than at identifying the first signs that watchkeeping quality is starting to deteriorate.”
This explains why the human layer continues to be such a persistent source of risk.
Closing the Loop: Helm Order Monitor
To address communication risks on the bridge, ELNAV.AI is developing Helm Order Monitor.
“In plain terms, it is about helping close the loop between command, repeat back, and execution.”
This becomes especially critical in high-workload situations.
“During pilotage, confined waters, or any higher workload phase, a small communication mismatch can escalate quickly.”
The key difference lies in timing.
“The aim is to use speech recognition and bridge context to help surface inconsistencies while there is still time for the bridge team to correct them.”
Rather than acting as a passive recording system, it functions as an operational safety layer.
Supporting Vigilance: The Role of Aware Mate
Alertness is another critical area of focus.
Aware Mate is designed to complement existing systems like BNWAS by addressing something they do not fully capture: the quality of vigilance.
“BNWAS is valuable, but it mainly confirms that the watchkeeper is present and responsive. It does not really tell you whether alertness is drifting.”
Aware Mate looks at early behavioral signals.
“It looks for sustained signs of drowsiness or distraction using non identifying behavioural cues such as eyelid closure, gaze stability, head position, and posture.”
This allows crews to react before risk escalates.
“The idea is simple: detect deterioration earlier, while the watch can still recover cleanly and safely.”
The broader vision is clear.
“The next step in maritime safety is not removing people from the bridge but supporting people on the bridge better.”
Privacy and Trust: A Non-Negotiable Principle
A key aspect of ELNAV.AI’s approach is ensuring that safety technology does not become surveillance.
“We do not believe safety technology should become crew surveillance.”
Trust plays a central role in adoption.
“If people feel watched rather than supported, trust disappears, and the technology becomes part of the problem instead of part of the solution.”
That is why the system is designed with strict privacy principles.
“Processing happens on board. There is no ship to shore raw video by default. There is no identity recognition and no emotion recognition.”
Outputs are intentionally limited.
“The system is designed to produce minimal, safety relevant outputs, not invasive monitoring.”
And critically, alerts remain advisory.
Why Partnerships Are Essential
In maritime, innovation must prove itself in real-world conditions.
“A good idea is not enough. It has to be robust, understandable, installable, and acceptable in practice.”
This is where collaboration becomes essential.
“Deep tech only becomes meaningful when it works in real conditions and earns trust from the people who actually operate ships.”
Research and industry partnerships help bridge the gap between concept and deployment.
Building the Right Ecosystem
ELNAV.AI is now focused on working with partners who can help validate and scale its solutions.
“We are most interested in working with vessel operators, bridge integrators, and other partners who want to validate practical human factor safety technology in real conditions.”
Adoption depends on more than just performance.
“Adoption in this area depends on governance and trust as much as technical performance.”
The company is also engaging with academies and simulator centers to test real use cases.
What Comes Next
Looking ahead, the priority is clear: turning innovation into reliable deployment.
“We want to turn promising technology into repeatable, trusted deployment.”
This includes validation, product refinement, and operational readiness.
“We are not trying to replace the human on the bridge. We are trying to better support the human who is already there.”
About Us
At S2 Xpeed, with passion and effort, we are creating the largest industrial technology ecosystem in Europe, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, and corporations. We’ve scouted more than 2,800 startups across Health, Clean-Tech, Mobility, and Industry 4.0, helping companies discover and implement breakthrough innovations.
If you want to learn more about ELNAV.AI or explore collaboration opportunities, feel free to reach out.
