Autonomous Vessel Technology Adoption in Southeast Asian Shipping: Readiness Assessment, Regulatory Gaps, and Strategic Pathways

The emergence of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) represents the most disruptive technological paradigm shift in maritime operations since the transition from sail to steam, yet Southeast Asian maritime nations — including Indonesia — remain substantially unprepared to integrate autonomous vessel technologies within their regulatory, port infrastructure, and maritime education frameworks. This study conducts the first systematic readiness assessment of Southeast Asian ports, shipping companies, and maritime regulatory authorities for autonomous vessel integration, identifying critical regulatory gaps and proposing a phased adoption roadmap. Employing a qualitative research design with thematic and comparative analysis, the study engaged autonomous vessel technology specialists, port operations directors, maritime regulators, and maritime academics across five Southeast Asian nations as primary respondents. Findings reveal an overall MASS readiness composite score of 3.72 out of 5.00 — indicating moderate readiness — with regulatory framework development and port infrastructure adaptation identified as the most critical gap domains. The study contributes a MASS readiness index tool and regional policy roadmap for ASEAN maritime autonomous technology adoption, with direct implications for maritime professional education and regional maritime governance.