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E-Bulletin June 2025

Advancing Maritime Digitalization: The Development of the IALA S-200 Product Specification Series

Developing the S-200 series of product specifications continues to be a key focus of IALA’s technical work, which is closely aligned with the IMO’s Common Maritime Data Structure (CMDS) and IHO’s S-100 framework. IALA continue to contribute to developing S-200 product specifications in collaboration with other international organisations especially with IHO. It is also involved in creating test and validation tools and providing training.

The S-200 series is a suite of IALA-developed Product Specifications built on the IHO S-100 Universal Hydrographic Data Model, which serves as the foundation for the next generation of digital navigation systems, including Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs), maritime services, and other geospatial data.

The S-200 series is tailored to the needs of IALA and its domain, covering aspects such as:

  • S-201: Aids to Navigation (AtoN) Information – enabling the standardized digital portrayal and exchange of information about fixed and floating aids to navigation.
  • S-210: Marine Safety Information (MSI) – structured to support the distribution of navigational warnings and safety-related communications.
  • S-210: Inter VTS Exchange Format (IVEF) – enabling the exchange of VTS information between different VTS centers.
  • S-211: Port call messages: to support the efficient coordination of port calls, communication between ship and port, port and ship, port to port, and among port actors must be standardized and precise.
  • S-212: VTS Digital Information Services – supporting data services VTS authorities provide to vessels, such as traffic images or route recommendations.
  • S-230: Application Specific Messages.
  • S-240: DGNSS Station Information aimed to deliver standardized information about Differential GNSS reference stations.
  • S-245: PNT (Positioning, Navigation, and Timing) Service Availability – describing availability and integrity data for maritime PNT services.
  • S-246: eLoran Station Almanac.
  • S-247: Differential eLoran Reference Station Almanac.

As maritime operations become increasingly digitalised, the need for standardised and interoperable data has become critical. The S-200 Series addresses this need by ensuring that data from different maritime authorities, systems, and equipment manufacturers can be shared and interpreted consistently worldwide.

The deployment of S-200 products supports:

  • Enhanced maritime situational awareness.
  • Enhanced navigational safety through accurate, timely and reliable information.
  • Enhanced service interoperability between VTS, AtoN providers and maritime administrations.
  • Future readiness for autonomous and remote vessel operations.

IALA’s role in the S-200 development IALA, as a domain owner of Marine Aids to Navigation, is working closely with the IHO and other stakeholders to ensure the alignment of the S-200 series with the broader S-100 framework. Through its Digital@Sea initiative and technical committees, IALA fosters international collaboration, develops product specifications and assists Member States in implementing these standards.

IALA also supports the creation of testbeds and pilot projects to validate the S-200 PS and promote real-world use cases, including integration with S-100 ECDIS, e-Navigation services and port digitisation efforts.

The development of the S-200 series is a dynamic and ongoing process. As maritime digitalisation evolves, IALA will continue to expand and refine its product specifications to address emerging needs such as digital maritime safety information, dynamic AtoN services and integrated navigation platforms.

Enhancing Interoperability

The S-200 PS series, developed under the IALA framework and aligned with the broader S-100 standard, has recently adopted a key structural improvement: introducing “concepts.” This new element represents a shift in how product specifications are defined and harmonized across the maritime domain.

Traditionally, S-200 PSs were built using features and attributes alone. However, as the number of products expanded, it became clear that a more unified and interoperable system was necessary. Introducing concepts aims to meet this need by offering a standardized way to manage and connect definitions across multiple specifications.

This update’s core is the Concept Register in the IHO Geospatial Information (GI) Registry. Serving as a centralized repository, the register now holds more than 8,200 concepts, each of which may be used as a feature, an attribute, or both, depending on the product context.

While features are generally the primary building blocks of a specification and attributes provide detailed characteristics, the new concept-based structure allows for greater flexibility. This enables more precise alignment between different S-200 PSs and paves the way for seamless integration with other digital maritime services.

Connectivity in the New S-200-Based ECDIS System

As part of the evolving S-100 framework, the S-200 series continues to play a central role in shaping the future of maritime data standards. One of the most notable developments within this series is the next-generation ECDIS system, which is poised to replace the older S-57-based ECDIS.

Among its many improvements, connectivity stands out as a transformative feature. Unlike the legacy system—where mariners had to manually update charts using physical media such as CDs, the new ECDIS enables real-time internet-based updates. This shift eliminates the need for manual installations, streamlining operations and improving efficiency across the board.

However, this advancement also brings new challenges. The integration of online data exchange makes cybersecurity and authentication protocols essential. Ensuring these safeguards are entirely in place is critical before the system can be widely deployed.

While today’s focus may not be on cybersecurity, connectivity represents a major leap forward, offering a more dynamic and secure future for digital maritime navigation under the S-200 umbrella.

S-200 for PNT

The S-200 series, developed within the broader S-100 framework, is a vital enabler of modern Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services in the maritime sector. Spearheaded by IALA, this suite of product specifications ensures standardized data exchange for Aids to Navigation (AtoN) and shore-based systems critical to navigation safety.

Key S-200 products supporting PNT include:

  • S-201 – AtoN Information
  • S-240 – DGNSS Station almanac Information
  • S-245 – eLoran ASF data
  • S-246 – eLoran station almanac information
  • S-247 – Differential eLoran reference station almanac

These specifications aim to boost interoperability, reliability, and situational awareness for mariners, especially in GNSS-challenged environments. S-240, S-246, and S-247 focus on station almanac data using vector formats, while S-245 employs grid data to represent spatial error maps.

Despite their value, developing and maintaining these specifications face challenges, particularly due to the limited availability of S-200 experts within the IALA Secretariat and the ENG Committee. This creates difficulty in maintaining individual product standards.

Integrating PNT-related almanac specifications into a unified framework is being considered to improve usability and responsiveness to user needs. This approach would streamline updates, support global data harmonization, and ensure a more scalable and adaptable solution as PNT technologies evolve.

IALA S-200 Test and Validation tool

IALA continues to make steady progress in developing and evaluating the S-200 series through its active test bed initiatives. These test beds are essential in validating product specifications under the S-100 framework, ensuring their functionality, interoperability, and practical application in real-world maritime environments.

Recent updates include:

  • Successful implementation trials of key specifications such as S-201 (AtoN Information), S-125 Marine Aids to Navigation and S-240 (DGNSS Station Information) across selected VTS and coastal sites.
  • Ongoing interoperability testing between S-200 products and existing ECDIS and e-Navigation platforms.
  • Development of test datasets and encoding examples to support specification validation and training.
  • Early-stage test scenarios involving S-245-247 (eLoran system), aimed at exploring alternative PNT services.

The insights gained from these test beds are helping refine feature catalogues, improve encoding rules, and identify operational challenges ahead of broader deployment. Coordination with IHO, stakeholders, and industry partners remains central to aligning with global maritime standards.

S-200 Trainings

From 20 to 22 February 2024, the IALA World-Wide Academy (WWA) conducted a training session on S-100, S-200, and related Data Product Specifications (DPS). The training was facilitated by a team of experts from the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO), the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO), and PRIMAR, the Norwegian-based Regional ENC Coordinating Centre (RENC). The ARM Committee led this event as part of its ongoing work on IHO matters. The participants were individuals who mostly did not have a background in this area. Nevertheless, the training turned out to be quite successful. It also served as a valuable opportunity to collect feedback on the S-200 PS series from participants representing 20 countries around the world. One of the key takeaways was the recognition of a significant challenge: the lack of harmonized terminology in this domain.

Looking ahead

By championing the S-200 series, IALA is contributing to global maritime safety and positioning itself at the forefront of the digital transformation of the maritime domain. Member States, industry partners, and maritime authorities are encouraged to engage with IALA’s work on S-200, participate in development and testing, and start planning.

About the author

Mykola Golodov – Ukrainian hydrographer and oceanographer, an expert in the field of marine navigation equipment and the safe, sustainable use of the world’s oceans.

For two decades, Mykola served as the Deputy Head of the IALA Member State Competent Authority.

As a true Explorer of the World Ocean, Mykola has participated in numerous research expeditions across the Atlantic, Indian, and Southern Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean and Black Seas, and an expedition to Antarctica, contributing critical insights to international maritime knowledge. Their work bridges both practice and academia— currently, Mykola is an Associate Professor at the Odessa Maritime Academy as a Candidate of Technical Sciences degree, where he teaches and inspires the next generation of maritime professionals.

In recognition of their significant contributions to oceanographic science and navigational safety, Mykola was awarded the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology. His achievements continue to shape Ukraine’s maritime presence and global cooperation through IALA.


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