Waterway Transportation Software Market Report 2025

This report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market’s historic and forecast market growth by geography.

The waterway transportation software market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $75.39 billion in 2024 to $82.46 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.4%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to globalization, regulatory compliance, rising fuel costs, and supply chain optimization.

The waterway transportation software market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $116.51 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to digital transformation, sustainability initiatives, infrastructure investments, e-commerce growth, resilience, and risk management. Major trends in the forecast period include increased integration, focus on predictive analytics, adoption of AI and machine learning, expansion of cloud-based solutions, and emphasis on cybersecurity.

The anticipated rise in maritime trade activities is poised to drive the expansion of the waterway transportation software market. Maritime trade, denoting the commercial exchange of goods and services via sea routes utilizing ships and vessels, is witnessing growth fueled by factors such as globalization, expanded markets, advancements in shipping technology, emergence of new routes, and increasing global demand for goods. Additionally, improved infrastructure and favorable economic policies contribute to this trend. Waterway transportation software plays a crucial role in maritime trade by optimizing vessel scheduling, route planning, cargo logistics, regulatory compliance, and facilitating real-time communication among stakeholders. Notably, data published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in September 2023 projects a 2.4% growth in maritime trade in 2023, with further increases of over 2% expected between 2024 and 2028. Specifically, containerized trade volumes are forecasted to rise by 1.2% in 2023, underscoring the impetus behind the growth of the waterway transportation software market.

Major players in the waterway transportation software market are increasingly leveraging technologies such as cloud-based transport management systems to maintain competitiveness and enhance operational efficiency. These systems offer functionalities such as route optimization, real-time tracking, inventory management, freight scheduling, and performance analytics, accessible from any internet-connected device. For instance, in September 2023, CocoonFMS Ltd., a UK-based logistics software company, unveiled CocoonOPS, its latest transport management system aimed at revolutionizing operations for freight forwarders. CocoonOPS endeavors to streamline freight forwarding operations, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses, by providing real-time shipment tracking for air, sea, road, and rail, along with features such as demurrage and detention cost calculations, customizable workflows, automated tasks, and document generation.

In May 2022, Veson Nautical, a US-based provider of software development and maritime freight management solutions, acquired Q88 for an undisclosed sum. This acquisition is part of Veson Nautical’s growth strategy, with the goal of creating a standardized platform that streamlines maritime commerce by incorporating Q88's innovative software solutions into its current offerings. Q88, also based in the US, specializes in information management and digital solutions for the maritime transportation sector.

Major companies operating in the waterway transportation software market are Maersk A/S, Accenture plc, Oracle Corporation, SAP SE, Danaher Corporation, ABB Ltd., Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation, Zebra Technologies Corporation, Flexport Inc., Kirby Corporation, DNV GL AS, American Commercial Lines Inc., Descartes Systems Group Inc., Aquatic Informatics Inc., LogiNext Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Jibe, Geniuserp, FourKites Inc., Trans-I Technologies Inc., Bass Software Solutions, Hidrovuas do Brasil, XPV Water Partners, Zero North, Veson Nautical Corporation, ABS Wavesight, FRETRON, Nautical Corporation.

North America was the largest region in the waterway transportation software market in 2024. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the waterway transportation software market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the waterway transportation software market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The waterway transportation software market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing tracking, scheduling, and managing logistics services for waterway transportation. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The waterway transportation software market also includes sales of computers, networking devices, sensors, GPS systems, communication devices, and other specialized equipment. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

Waterway transportation software refers to digital tools and applications tailored to optimize and streamline various operations within the realm of waterborne transportation. These solutions cater to businesses and organizations engaged in maritime activities, including shipping companies, logistics providers, port authorities, and maritime agencies.

The primary solutions offered by waterway transportation software encompass warehousing management, vessel tracking systems, freight security solutions, yard management tools, audit and claims management platforms, ship broker software, and other specialized maritime software applications. Warehousing management solutions facilitate efficient storage and handling of goods at warehouses situated along waterways, offering features for inventory management, order processing, and logistics coordination within warehouse facilities. The services provided alongside waterway transportation software include managed services, consulting or customization services, and training services, with deployment options including on-premises, cloud-based, and hybrid solutions. These software solutions cater to a diverse range of industry verticals such as consumer and retail, oil and gas, industrial and manufacturing, energy and mining, aerospace and defense, construction, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, food and beverages, among others.

The waterway transportation software market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides waterway transportation software market statistics, including the waterway transportation software industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with waterway transportation software market share, detailed waterway transportation software market segments, market trends, and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the waterway transportation software industry. This waterway transportation software market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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