  The maritime industry is experiencing a technological revolution that affects
shipbuilding, operation of both seagoing and inland vessels, cargo management,
and working practices in harbors. This ongoing transformation is driven by the
ambition to make the ecosystem more sustainable and cost-efficient.
Digitalization and automation help achieve these goals by transforming shipping
and cruising into a much more cost- and energy-efficient, and decarbonized
industry segment. The key enablers in these processes are always-available
connectivity and content delivery services, which can not only aid shipping
companies in improving their operational efficiency and reducing carbon
emissions but also contribute to enhanced crew welfare and passenger
experience. Due to recent advancements in integrating high-capacity and
ultra-reliable terrestrial and non-terrestrial networking technologies,
ubiquitous maritime connectivity is becoming a reality. To cope with the
increased complexity of managing these integrated systems, this article
advocates the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning-based
approaches to meet the service requirements and energy efficiency targets in
various maritime communications scenarios.
