Waterway Transportation Software Market Growth Drivers, Challenges and Opportunities

Waterway Transportation Software Market Size, Demand and Opportunity Analysis

The waterway transportation software market is projected to reach USD 193.12 billion by 2034, growing from USD 89.66 billion in 2025, at a CAGR of 8.9% during the forecast period from 2025 to 2034.

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Introduction

The waterway transportation software market is a crucial branch of the maritime industry. This industry deals in developing advanced software for enhancing the capabilities of marine transportation. There are various types of software developed in this sector consisting of vessel tracking software, maritime software, yard management software, freight security software, ship broker software and some others. These software finds application in several sectors including fleet management, cargo tracking, port management, safety management and some others. The end-user of this sector consists of logistics companies, shipping lines, port authorities, government agencies and some others. The growing deployment of cloud-based software in modern ports for tracking vessels has contributed to the overall industrial expansion. This market is likely to experience significant growth with the rise of the software industry in different parts of the globe.

Highlights of the Waterway Transportation Software Market

• North America generated highest revenue of the waterway transportation software market.
• Asia Pacific is expected to rise with the highest CAGR during the forecast period.
• By application, the fleet management segment dominated this industry.
• By application, the cargo tracking segment is expected to rise with the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.
• By end use, the logistics companies segment held the largest share of the market.
• By end use, the port authorities segment is expected to grow with a significant CAGR during the forecast period.

Key Metrics and Overview

What are the Trends of Waterway Transportation Software Market in 2025?

The major trends in this market consists of integration of AI in tracking software, government investment for renovating ports and partnerships.

Integration of AI in Tracking Software

The software developers have started integrating AI in maritime software to enhance tracking of large fleet of ships. For instance, in February 2025, EasyPost launched Luma. Luma is an AI-based software designed to track real-time location of ships. (Source: ShipTechnology)

Government Investment to Renovate Ports

Government of several countries such as the U.S., Sweden, India, Switzerland and some others have invested heavily to develop smart ports. For instance, in October 2024, the government of U.S. announced to invest around US$ 3 billion. This investment is done for developing the ports of this country. (Source: E2)

Partnerships

Numerous market players are partnering with each other to develop advanced software to enhance waterway transportation. For instance, in August 2024, Cosco Shipping partnered with Wallem Group. This partnership is done for developing an advanced software for enhancing ship management. (Source: SAFETY4SEA)

Application Insights

Why Fleet Management Segment Held the Largest Share of the Waterway Transportation Software Market in 2025?

The fleet management segment led the waterway transportation software market. The increasing use of advanced software to manage and track fleets of ships has boosted the market expansion. Additionally, the growing demand for fleet management software from shipping companies for several functions including voyage planning, fleet tracking, crew management, fleet optimization and some others is adding to the overall industrial expansion. Moreover, the rising adoption of AI-based fleet management software by fleet operators is driving the growth of the waterway transportation software market.

• In January 2025, ZF launched Scalar. Scalar is a digital fleet management software designed for enhancing cargo transportation. (Source: Economictimes)

The cargo tracking segment is expected to grow with the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The rising demand for advanced cargo tracking software from logistics companies has boosted the market growth. Additionally, the increasing application of these software for enhancing several applications such as real-time tracking, status updates, predictive analytics, decision making and some others is playing a vital role in shaping the industrial landscape. Moreover, the rapid deployment of AI-enabled cargo tracking software in logistics carriers has driven the growth of the waterway transportation software market.

• In August 2024, Federal Express Corporation (FedEx) launched FedEx Surround. FedEx Surround is an advanced cargo tracking software designed for enhancing logistics operations in the Asia Pacific region. (Source: Worldaircargoawards)

End Use Insights

How did the Logistics Companies Segment led the Waterway Transportation Software Market in 2025?

The logistics companies segment dominated the market. The growing investment by logistics providers to integrate advanced software in shipping sector has driven the market growth. Additionally, the rising emphasis of logistics brands to deliver products internationally without any error and misplacement is further adding to the industrial expansion. Moreover, numerous market players are launching advanced software to track vessels in isolated ocean parts, thereby driving the growth of the waterway transportation software market.

• In April 2024, Hapag-Lloyd launched Live Position. Live Position is an advanced software designed for tracking large fleet of container carrying ships. (Source: Hapag-Lloyd)

The port authorities segment is expected to rise with a significant CAGR during the forecast period. The growing investment by port authorities to deploy advanced software for managing port operations has boosted the market expansion. Additionally, partnerships among port authorities and software providers to integrate advanced fleet management software in modern ports is further adding to the overall industrial expansion. Moreover, the rising cases of thefts and burglary in ports has increased the demand for safety management software, thereby driving the growth of the waterway transportation software market.

• In January 2025, SOHAR Port announced partnership with Freezone. This partnership is done for developing an advanced port management software named ‘Marasi’. (Source: Marine Insight)

Geographical Insights

Why North America Dominated the Waterway Transportation Software Market in 2025?

North America led the waterway transportation software market. The growing adoption of electric yachts among high-net worth individuals (HNIs) in the U.S. and Canada has boosted the market expansion. Additionally numerous government initiatives aimed at developing the port infrastructure coupled with rapid deployment of cloud-based fleet management software in modern ports is further adding to the industrial growth. Moreover, the presence of several market players such as IBM, Oracle, cruisePAL and some others is expected to propel the growth of the waterway transportation software market in this region.

• In April 2025, cruisePAL launched a new range of vessel management software in the U.S. These web-based cloud-ready software are designed for operating cruise ships. (Source: Seatrade Cruise News)

U.S. dominated the market in this region. The integration of advanced port management software in modern ports along with rapid investment by government for enhancing the maritime transportation sector has driven the market growth. Additionally, the growing cases of cargo thefts coupled with rapid growth of the e-commerce sector has contributed to the industrial expansion.

Asia Pacific is expected to rise with the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. The rising development in the water transportation sector coupled with rapid integration of advanced technologies such as AI and IoT in fleet operations has driven the market growth. Also, the growing investment by government of various countries such as India, China, Japan, South Korea and some others for developing the maritime sector is contributing to the industrial expansion. Moreover, the presence of numerous water transportation software companies such as Samsung, Fresa Technologies, Vinova Pte Ltd and some others is expected to drive the growth of the waterway transportation software market in this region.

• In January 2025, Samsung Electronics announced partnership with Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI). This partnership is done for launching an IoT-enabled software for ships in the APAC region. (Source: Riviera)

China is the major contributor in this region. In China, the market is generally driven by the rising export of electronic goods and automotive components to different parts of the world. Additionally, the rapid investment by shipping companies for developing smart ports is further contributing to the overall industrial expansion.

Industry Leader Announcement

• In April 2025, Giampiero Soncini, the CEO of SpecTec made an announcement stating that, “Enterprise was built to bring the maritime sector into the modern digital era, most systems in the market are still running on outdated technology, even if they look polished on the surface. Underneath, they rely on legacy frameworks and obsolete Object-Oriented Languages, and other unsupported technologies. Oceanly Enterprise is built from the ground up using .NET, Java, and Angular, making it fully cloud-deployable, with unmatched flexibility and performance.”

Competitive Landscape

The water transportation software market is a highly fragmented industry with the presence of numerous dominating players. Some of the prominent companies in this industry consists of Wärtsilä, IBM, Cargotec, Oracle, GE Transportation, Navis, MOL, HapagLloyd, Saab, IFFCO, Trelleborg, Kongsberg Gruppen, SAP, CMA CGM, UTS Holdings and some others. These companies are constantly engaged in developing advanced software for marine transportation and adopting numerous strategies such as joint ventures, acquisitions, collaborations, business expansions, partnerships, launches, and some others to maintain their dominance in this industry.

• In November 2024, Saab launched Autonomous Ocean Core. Autonomous Ocean Core is an software designed to enhance autonomy in unmanned ships. (Source: Breaking Defense)

• According to the annual report of Trelleborg, Europe generated the maximum revenue share of the company with 44% followed by other regions. (Source: Storage)

Recent Developments

• In February 2025, Freight Technologies launched Fleet Rocket. Fleet Rocket is a Transportation Management System designed for enhancing freight management operations across the USMCA region. (Source: GlobeNewswire)
• In January 2025, BASS Software launched BASSnet Web 3.0. BASSnet Web 3.0 is an advanced software solution designed for transforming ship management operations. (Source: BASSnet)
• In October 2024, Mitsubishi launched an AI-based software. This software is designed for tracking dark fleet vessels in oceans. (Source: SAFETY4SEA)

Waterway Transportation Software Market Segments

By Application

• Fleet Management
• Cargo Tracking
• Port Management
• Safety Management

By Deployment

• Hybrid
• Cloud-based
• On-Premises

By Functionality

• Real-Time Tracking
• Reporting Analytics
• Resource Management
• Compliance Management

By End Use

• Logistics Companies
• Shipping Lines
• Port Authorities
• Government Agencies

By Region

• North America
• Latin America
• Western Europe
• Eastern Europe
• Asia Pacific
• The Middle East and Africa