Converting training ships into pioneer ships: A policy for regional equity

Maritime transportation serves to support inter-island connectivity within an extensive archipelagic region. Pioneer ships are expected to reach remote, frontier, underdeveloped, and border areas according to the routes needed by communities. Although there are many requests for pioneer ship routes that need evaluation, this situation has been addressed by the Directorate of Sea Transportation by maximizing the function and duties of training ships as educational tools for prospective maritime officers into asset utilization as pioneer ships for public service activities. The purpose of this research is to analyze problem-oriented policies to determine their utilization level and appropriate problem mapping, then formulate effective strategies to support the sustainability of these policies. A descriptive qualitative method was employed to describe in detail the implementation of policies that have been ongoing since 2022, based on Indonesia’s transportation framework Sistem Transportasi Nasional (SISTRANAS), for 7 converted ships. IPA quadrant was employed to detect service users' perceptions of providers and operators, and strategy formulation used SWOT analysis, supported by the results of discussion forums involving policymakers, experts, and service users. The analysis revealed that the indicators of accessibility, security, perceived benefits, operational smoothness, and pollution were classified as low priority. Conversely, the indicators of quality, service tariffs, punctuality, safety, regularity, travel speed, and efficiency were categorized as overutilized, with capacity identified as the only indicator demonstrating consistent performance. The positioning in Quadrant I, reflected by a positive vector score (x = 2.00; y = 1.98), indicates that a more assertive strategy is required, focusing on the optimization of existing facilities, and supported by clear regulatory frameworks that ensure equitable benefits for all stakeholders. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------Cite this article: APA Style:Mafrisal, Rahman, F. A., Putri, I. A., Mallisa, S. V., & Arleiny. (2026). Converting training ships into pioneer ships: A policy for regional equity. Maritime Technology and Research, 8(3), 285338. https://doi.org/10.33175/mtr.2026.285338 MDPI Style:Mafrisal; Rahman, F. A.; Putri, I. A.; Mallisa, S. V.; Arleiny. Converting training ships into pioneer ships: A policy for regional equity. Marit. Technol. Res. 2026, 8, 285338. https://doi.org/10.33175/mtr.2026.285338 Vancouver Style:Mafrisal, Rahman FA, Putri IA, Mallisa SV, Arleiny. (2026). Converting training ships into pioneer ships: A policy for regional equity. Marit. Technol. Res. 8(3):285338. https://doi.org/10.33175/mtr.2026.285338 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Highlights The conversion of seven maritime training vessels into pioneer ships as a national policy for equitable public service has not been comprehensively studied. Island and remote regions are highly vulnerable to economic growth disruptions, making this governmental intervention both timely and accurate. By integrating National Transportation System indicators with user assessment and strategic formulation, this study proposes a problem-oriented policy framework. ⁠An assessment of 13 public service indicators shows that the converted ships achieve the highest performance scores despite being training vessels. ⁠The study highlights that human resource competency transformation and compliance with STCW and ISM Code are key determinants of policy success.