Vessels have long been required to carry nautical charts and nautical publications to plan and display the vessel route for the intended voyage and to plot and monitor positions throughout the voyage.

The advent of electronic charts in the 1990s provided vessels with additional information, including real-time information which could be displayed on screens on Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS).

ECDIS is a complex, safety-relevant, software-based system with multiple options for display and integration. The ongoing safe and effective use of ECDIS involves many stakeholders, including seafarers, equipment manufacturers, chart producers, hardware and software maintenance providers, shipowners and operators, and training providers.