Neurodiversity in Maritime: An Untapped Advantage

We recently reconnected with Daniel from NeurodiverseAtSea to explore how attitudes toward neurodiversity are shifting across the maritime sector. Inthe article below, Daniel offers fresh insights into the changes already underway and the opportunities he believes the industry has yet to unlock.

Shipping and the need to adapt

Anyone who has spent time in shipping knows that things rarely go exactly as planned. Routes change, weather shifts, equipment fails and geopolitical events can redraw the operational map overnight. Adaptability has always been one of the industry's defining traits.

Two years ago, I had the privilege of being invited by Sophia Grant, Director Crew Health Programme, to write an article for Neurodiversity Celebration Week.

A fair bit has happened since then, which is hardly unusual in shipping. The industry rarely stays still for long. A quick look at the tensions affecting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz shows how quickly circumstances can shift.

If maritime is going to navigate the challenges ahead such as geopolitical instability, decarbonisation, technological change and a persistent shortage of skilled people, the sector will need every advantage it can find.

Part of the answer lies in neurodiversity. In the simple fact that people think differently.

The uncomfortable truth, however, is that maritime is not yet benefiting from that advantage in the way many other industries already are.

Aviation, technology and pharmaceuticals have all recognised that neurodivergence brings strength. Pattern recognition. Lateral thinking. The ability to focus intensely on complex problems. Sometimes the ability to see solutions that others miss entirely.

Those strengths can translate into stronger innovation, better problem solving and organisations that cope more effectively when things become complicated.

Maritime, unfortunately, is still leaving much of that potential on the table.

The industry is still catching up

Despite the industry's growing conversations around inclusion, maritime is not yet as far along its inclusivity journey as we might like to believe.

The International Maritime Organization's own figures illustrate this clearly. Women still represent roughly one percent of the global seafaring workforce. The figure has shifted only slowly over time.

Meanwhile the Seafarer Happiness Index continues to sit somewhere between six and seven out of ten. Respectable perhaps, but hardly the sign of an industry where people are consistently thriving.

At the same time we regularly hear senior figures speak about the importance of diversity and inclusion to the future of shipping.

Neurodiversity, though, rarely features in those conversations.

When it does appear, it tends to be briefly. A paragraph in a policy document. A short mention in a report. Perhaps a slide in a conference presentation. Something acknowledged, certainly, but rarely explored in any real depth.

That is a missed opportunity.

The maritime industry speaks often about the "human element" in safety management. We recognise that fatigue, communication and cultural factors influence performance at sea. Yet the role that cognitive differences play in how people interpret information, solve problems or respond under pressure is rarely discussed.

What neurodiversity actually means

At this point it probably sounds like this article is turning into a bit of a slam-piece, which was not really the intention.

So, let's take a step back for a moment and remind ourselves what neurodiversity means.

Neurodiversity, as a concept at least, sits firmly in the "complex word, simple meaning" category.

In its simplest sense it refers to the natural variation in human nervous systems.

Put another way, people think differently.

Just as we all have different eye colours, voices and personalities, our brains also process the world in slightly different ways.

Humans like order. We like things to have a place.

Even the colleague whose desk looks like complete chaos usually has their own system. Papers in certain piles. Notes tucked in certain corners. To everyone else it looks disorganised, but to them it makes perfect sense.

In an odd way, recycling is actually a good example of this instinct in action. We separate paper from plastic and metal, and everything goes into its own carefully labelled bin.

Neurodiversity has not escaped this instinct to organise and categorise things.

Society has broadly decided that there are two groups. Those who think, act and interpret the world in roughly the same way as most people, and those whose brains work a little differently.

The first group are generally referred to as neurotypical.

The second group, those whose brains function differently because of variations in neurological development, are described as neurodivergent. I fall into that category myself.

To keep things manageable, society has broadly defined neurodivergence through a number of commonly recognised conditions. These include autism spectrum condition (ASC, which also includes Aspergers syndrome), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a group of conditions known as specific learning differences (SpLDs).

Specific learning differences (SpLDs) include dyslexia, dyspraxia, now more commonly referred to as developmental coordination disorder, dyscalculia and dysgraphia.

Or, put simply, someone is described as neurodivergent when they have a form of neurodivergence, for example autism.

There is ongoing discussion about whether other conditions such as some forms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or Tourette's syndrome should also sit under the neurodiversity umbrella. As there’s no real consensus on this yet, we’ll stick to the more “traditional” conditions for now.

Different challenges and different strengths

The challenges associated with neurodivergence vary enormously from person to person and often from day to day.

Take autism as an example. One autistic individual might find noisy environments overwhelming and actively seek out quieter spaces. Yet that same person may still enjoy loud music. Another autistic person might feel completely comfortable in busy environments but dislike loud music intensely.

That variation exists because autism is a spectrum condition. It affects people in different ways.

In my own case, for example, I struggle with crowds and busy places, yet I quite enjoy the deep thump of a marine diesel engine. Despite that, I still somehow ended up becoming a deck officer rather than an engineer.

Just as the challenges differ, so do the strengths.

One dyslexic individual might have excellent spatial awareness and the ability to think in 3D space. Skills that can be extremely useful in fields such as naval architecture. Another might be particularly strong at creative thinking and able to approach technical problems from angles that others would not necessarily consider.

Modern safety management systems already recognise that human performance is rarely uniform. Procedures are written, checklists are introduced and bridge resource management is taught precisely because people process information differently.

Neurodiversity simply adds another layer to that same human performance conversation.

Anyone who has spent time at sea knows that procedures rarely survive first contact with reality. People still have to interpret information, communicate clearly and make judgement calls.

The mindset challenge

All of us carry assumptions and internal biases whether we realise it or not. Those assumptions can sometimes prevent us from recognising the genuine advantages that different ways of thinking can bring.

Too often difference is framed purely as a cost rather than a potential strength.

That mindset sits at the centre of the challenge maritime faces when it comes to neurodiversity, and more broadly diversity and inclusion in general.

Across much of the industry crew welfare is still often viewed primarily through the lens of cost control. That pressure is not difficult to understand. Shipping operates in a highly competitive environment with tight margins and significant operating costs.

The difficulty is that when welfare is treated purely as a cost to be managed, the industry risks overlooking the long-term advantages that come from investing in people.

Crew facilities are often designed to meet the minimum standard. Cabins may have painted concrete floors, basic furniture and mattresses chosen more for cost than comfort. Stores and provisions are often purchased with cost rather than comfort as the main consideration.

DEI initiatives sometimes end up treated in a similar way.

Policies exist. Statements are written. Yet when individuals attempt to rely on those policies, the practical support behind them can be inconsistent.

Until that mindset begins to shift, progress will remain slow.

Why it matters for the future of shipping

Shipping has always depended on crews who can adapt when conditions change. Weather shifts. Equipment fails. Plans fall apart and people are expected to respond quickly and intelligently.

In those moments teams benefit from different perspectives on the bridge or in the engine room.

Cognitive diversity can be a real advantage in those situations. Different minds approach the same problem in different ways. Sometimes that means spotting a risk earlier. Sometimes it means finding a solution that others have missed.

Maritime has always prided itself on resilience, ingenuity and the ability to solve complex problems under pressure.

Yet one of the most powerful resources available to the industry, the diversity of human thinking itself, remains largely untapped.

Strong crews rely on three things.

• Good training.
• Clear procedures.
• People who can think when the unexpected happens.

Neurodiversity sits squarely within that third category.

Recognising that does not require a radical shift in how shipping operates. It simply requires the industry to recognise that people do not all think in the same way, and that in the right environment those differences can become a strength rather than a complication.

If maritime is serious about building a resilient and sustainable future, embracing different ways of thinking is not simply about inclusion.

It is about recognising talent, supporting people so they can perform at their best, and making full use of the capabilities already present within our workforce.

In an industry built on navigating uncertainty, that should not be controversial.

It should simply be good seamanship.