Esri’s Custom Chart Builder Adopted by France’s Shom, Marking a Milestone in Automated Nautical Chart Production
Esri, the global leader in location intelligence and geospatial solutions, has announced a significant milestone in maritime cartography with the official adoption of its Custom Chart Builder (CCB) by Shom, the French Hydrographic and Oceanographic Office. Following extensive testing, validation, and operational configuration, Shom has confirmed that Esri’s CCB can be used for the fully automated production of all paper nautical charts, meeting the rigorous safety and compliance standards mandated by the French Navy.
This decision represents a pivotal advancement in the modernization of nautical chart production and underscores the growing role of automation and digital workflows in maritime safety, navigation, and hydrographic services. As hydrographic offices worldwide face increasing pressure to modernize operations while maintaining legacy outputs, Shom’s adoption of CCB stands as a compelling example of how innovation can enhance efficiency without compromising regulatory integrity.
A New Era for Nautical Chart Production
Nautical charts remain a critical component of maritime navigation, supporting commercial shipping, naval operations, fishing fleets, and recreational boating. While digital navigation systems and Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) have become increasingly prevalent, paper charts continue to be required by regulation in many jurisdictions and remain indispensable as backup navigation tools.
Traditionally, the production of paper nautical charts has been a labor-intensive process, requiring skilled cartographers to manually compile, edit, and validate chart content. This approach, while reliable, is time-consuming, costly, and increasingly difficult to sustain in an era where hydrographic offices must also invest heavily in digital transformation, real-time data integration, and emerging standards such as S-100.
Esri’s Custom Chart Builder directly addresses these challenges by enabling the automated generation of regulation-compliant paper charts from existing ENCs. By eliminating much of the manual intervention historically required, CCB allows hydrographic organizations to dramatically reduce production timelines while preserving the accuracy, consistency, and safety standards essential to maritime navigation.
Rigorous Evaluation and Validation by Shom
Throughout 2024, Shom conducted an extensive evaluation of multiple chart production software solutions, assessing their ability to automate workflows, support customization, and comply with national and international standards. As France’s official hydrographic authority, Shom operates under strict requirements, particularly for charts used by the French Navy, where precision, reliability, and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable.
After a comprehensive review process, Shom selected Esri’s Custom Chart Builder for its advanced automation capabilities and its ability to generate paper charts directly from ENCs. The evaluation extended beyond technical performance to include rendering quality, symbology accuracy, scalability, and long-term alignment with Shom’s strategic objectives.
A critical element of the project involved close collaboration between Esri and Shom’s cartographic experts. Together, the teams worked to configure CCB to reflect Shom’s specific cartographic conventions, including customized symbology and layout standards. This collaboration ensured that the resulting charts met not only international hydrographic norms but also the unique operational expectations of French maritime authorities.
The outcome of this joint effort was a chart production system capable of delivering consistent, high-quality outputs at scale—without sacrificing safety or compliance.
Meeting French Navy Safety Standards
One of the most significant aspects of Shom’s adoption of CCB is its validation against the stringent safety standards required by the French Navy. The ability of an automated system to meet such requirements marks a turning point in the acceptance of automation within traditionally conservative maritime domains.
According to Esri, the successful validation confirms that CCB-generated charts can be relied upon for operational use, including naval navigation. This endorsement not only reinforces Shom’s confidence in the system but also positions Esri’s Custom Chart Builder as a trusted solution for hydrographic offices worldwide.
“This adoption demonstrates that high-quality, regulation-compliant paper charts can now be produced without manual intervention, dramatically reducing production time and cost,” said Rafael Ponce, Esri principal maritime consultant. “Shom’s endorsement validates Esri’s CCB as a trusted solution for hydrographic offices globally, supporting the transition to digital-first workflows and e-navigation.”
Preserving Safety While Unlocking Efficiency
From Shom’s perspective, the adoption of CCB represents a careful balance between modernization and responsibility. While automation offers clear efficiency gains, maintaining navigational safety remains paramount.
“Thanks to Esri’s Custom Chart Builder, Shom has modernized its chart production workflow without compromising safety,” said Nicolas David, Chief of the Cartographic Department at Shom, who led the testing and implementation of CCB. “The CPENC [Certified Printed ENC] provided by Shom does not present any significant differences compared to conventional nautical charts.”
This confirmation is particularly important in building confidence among mariners, naval authorities, and regulatory bodies who rely on Shom’s charts. By ensuring continuity in chart quality and usability, Shom has demonstrated that automation can enhance—not undermine—maritime safety.
Enabling Digital Transformation and Future Readiness
Beyond immediate operational benefits, Esri’s Custom Chart Builder plays a strategic role in supporting Shom’s broader digital transformation goals. As hydrographic offices increasingly transition toward S-100-based digital products, resource allocation becomes a critical challenge.
By automating the production of legacy paper charts, CCB frees skilled personnel to focus on developing next-generation digital services, including high-resolution bathymetric products, real-time data integration, and advanced e-navigation solutions. This dual capability—supporting both legacy and future requirements—makes CCB a particularly valuable tool for organizations navigating complex modernization pathways.
Esri designed CCB specifically with maritime agencies, defense organizations, and national hydrographic offices in mind. The platform supports compliance with existing standards while providing flexibility for customization and future expansion, ensuring long-term relevance in a rapidly evolving maritime technology landscape.
Industry Recognition and Knowledge Sharing
In recognition of Shom’s achievement and leadership in maritime innovation, Esri awarded the organization a Special Achievement in GIS Award at the 2025 Esri User Conference. The award highlights Shom’s successful implementation of advanced geospatial technology to deliver tangible operational improvements while maintaining public safety and regulatory compliance.
Looking ahead, discussions are already underway to integrate Shom’s configurations and enhancements into future releases of Esri’s Custom Chart Builder. This integration will enable other hydrographic offices to benefit from out-of-the-box charting capabilities informed by Shom’s real-world operational experience.
Shom has also expressed its intention to share its FME-based developments and technical expertise with the global hydrographic community. By contributing knowledge and best practices, Shom aims to support broader adoption of automated chart production and encourage collaboration among national hydrographic authorities.
Setting a Global Precedent for Hydrographic Offices
Shom’s adoption of Esri’s Custom Chart Builder sets a powerful precedent for hydrographic offices worldwide. As maritime traffic continues to grow and navigational environments become more complex, the demand for timely, accurate, and compliant charting solutions will only increase.
Automation, when implemented responsibly and validated rigorously, offers a sustainable path forward. Shom’s experience demonstrates that it is possible to modernize chart production processes, reduce costs, and improve efficiency—while maintaining the highest standards of navigational safety.
For Esri, the collaboration further solidifies its position as a key technology partner for the maritime and hydrographic sector. For the global maritime community, it represents a meaningful step toward a more efficient, digitally enabled future for nautical charting.
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