As I hand over the IACS chairmanship to my successor — Lee Jeong-kie, chief executive of the Korean Register — it is a good time to reflect on what lies ahead. When I became chairman of the International Association of Classification Societies last July, I laid out three main goals for my tenure: modernise classification in anticipation of developments in digitalisation and new technologies; reinforce the role of IACS as the leading technical association and key advisor to the IMO; and improve continuity and transparency within the organisation.