Digitalising the UK Ship Register (UKSR)
”The effective digitisation of the UK Ship Register is a central element to the creation of a new operating model for the service; fit for the 21st Century. The solution that has been developed is elegant in its design, thorough in its understanding of the customer and simple in its execution leading users seamlessly through the process. Both the system and teams stood up to the scrutiny and have delivered an exemplary platform that will be built upon and used by the MCA for many years”
Dan Vivian
Commercial Director. Maritime Coastguard Agency
89%
Data and certification errors reduced by
625%
Monthly transactions increased by
45%
Cost per transaction reduced by
THE CHALLENGE
Modernising maritime services for a digital future
The existing UKSR service was heavily manual, fragmented and error-prone, slowing operations and frustrating users.
Key challenges included:
– Paper forms and manual data entry creating delays and inaccuracies
– Siloed teams and inconsistent workflows
– A failed legacy data migration effort
– Lengthy registration processing times, risking sailing delays and penalties
– No digital self-service or global 24/7 availability
– The need for compliance with international maritime laws and UK data privacy regulations
The MCA needed a modern, cloud-based service that delivered speed, reliability and ease of use, while reducing internal admin and improving data quality.
THE SOLUTION
A digital platform built for scale, speed and service
Catapult was engaged to design and deliver a digital UKSR platform that would transform user experience, streamline operations and enable global scale.
Highlights of the solution:
– 200+ user interviews informed a fully joined-up customer journey that met usability, accessibility and compliance standards
– Cloud-native, microservices architecture provided 24/7 global access, scalability and continuous deployment
– Automated data migration using ETL processes ensured clean and accurate onboarding of existing records
– Integration with GOV.UK Pay and Notify enabled secure, standardised transactions and real-time communications
– DevSecOps pipeline and agile delivery supported continuous improvement and rapid iteration
– Atlassian toolset (Jira & Confluence) improved collaboration and productivity across teams
– Validated through Alpha and public Beta assessments to ensure quality and service readiness
Manual touchpoints were removed, with robust validation and pre-submission checks improving data quality and reducing processing effort. Digital certificates, aligned with IMO regulations, were introduced to support compliance and competitiveness.
This platform means that the registration services of the UK flag have the ability to be world leading, supporting the maritime sector and the wider UK economy. The project team has collaborated effectively and engaged the teams across the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) at the appropriate times.
Dan Vivian
Commercial Director. Maritime Coastguard Agency
THE RESULTS
Industry recognition. Proven results. Rapid deliver
The MCA now has a competitive digital registry platform that supports international growth, improves customer experience and delivers measurable operational efficiencies.
– Recognised as a finalist at the UK IT Industry Awards and Computing Digital Technology Leaders Awards for Best Public Sector IT Project
– Registration processing time cut from 60+ minutes to just 8–17 minutes
– Digital Certificates of Registration (CoRs) now issued in seconds, down from 15 minutes
– Significant reduction in internal admin, freeing registrars for higher-value tasks
– Globally available, 24/7 self-service platform accessible to owners, agents and operators
– Improved data quality and reduced rekeying errors across the registration lifecycle
