Digital transformation - News

Flying Fish Maritime Innovations B.V., a Dutch pioneer in digital maritime technology and advice, announced a minority investment from CPAC Systems AB, a subsidiary of the Volvo Group, on May 7th, 2025. CPAC Systems (Sweden) is specialised in developing advanced control and automation systems for marine, construction and commercial vehicle industries. Advanced fleet management For the Flying Fish team, this step marks the beginning of a broader strategic partnership aimed at accelerating...

ABS and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) signed a memorandum of understanding that opens the door for joint development projects to develop international naval ships. Types of naval ship designs With the goal of achieving approval in principle, ABS will apply its rigorous goal-based and prescriptive requirements to three different types of naval ship designs from HHI: HDA-24000: Auxiliary Logistic Support Ship HDF-3200: Frigate HDP-2200: Offshore Patrol Vessel International naval vess...

ClassNK has released the ‘Guidelines for Safety Operation for Ammonia-Fueled Vessels’ for considering the introduction of ammonia-fuelled vessels to ensure safe operation on board ammonia-fuelled vessels. By following these guidelines, safe and secure operation can be achieved for those involved in the operation of ammonia-fuelled vessels. The Guidelines give top priority to protecting the safety of seafarers, and cover matters to be kept in mind in daily operations, such as me...

The Maritime Standard has confirmed the programme for the third edition of the Transportation and Climate Change Conference (TACCC), which will take place on Thursday, 25th September 2025, at the Saadiyat Rotana Resort in Abu Dhabi, UAE.  Building on the momentum of previous editions, TACCC 2025 will once again bring together key industry players from across the transport spectrum to explore practical steps toward achieving sustainable, low-carbon transportation systems. Climate goals acr...

Following the successful debut of Malaysia’s first hybrid Fast Crew Boat (FCB), Strategic Marine is pleased to announce the delivery of the second hybrid FCB to Centus Marine as part of their continued partnership to advance cleaner and more efficient offshore vessel technologies. The vessel, named Centus Alesha, features Strategic Marine’s hybrid propulsion system, which significantly reduces fuel consumption and emissions. Designed in collaboration with Centus Marine, it supports...

Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), a pioneering international classification society, marked a significant presence at the Seatrade Maritime Middle East 2025, showcasing its expanding portfolio of services, including advancements in digitalisation, decarbonisation, and maritime sustainability initiatives. As part of its outreach efforts, the IRS hosted a Customer & Stakeholder Event on the sidelines of the exhibition. Insights and valuable recommendations The event was very well attended...

ABS Chairman and Chief Executive Christopher J. Wiernicki spoke about the application of advanced strategies to improve shipbuilding competitiveness at the Manufacturing at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Symposium. Speaking on the Strengthening Supply Chains and the Industrial Base panel, he outlined an equation for manufacturing success that includes a combination of five key elements working together that will drive the pace of successful and sustainable manufacturing:...

Nor-Shipping, in partnership with YoungShip, reveals the shortlist for this year’s Nor-Shipping Young Entrepreneur Award, with the drive to decarbonise, digitalise, and deliver greater inclusivity within the maritime industry taking centre stage. Set to be presented on 2 June at Nor-Shipping’s After Work ‘kick-off’ at Oslo’s famous Leketer’n venue, the prestigious accolade celebrates under-40s making waves with commercially viable solutions addressing key oce...

On 22 May 2025, maritime industry professionals from around the globe will come together at the prestigious De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, Covent Garden, for the Royal Institution of Naval Architects’ (RINA) flagship Annual Dinner. This highly anticipated event offers an evening of celebration, reflection, and strategic dialogue for naval architects, marine engineers, and maritime innovators. New partnerships and relationships The dinner provides exceptional networking options with seni...

ABS and HD Hyundai Mipo (HMD) have signed a joint development project (JDP) for digital manufacturing-based automation equipment for shipyards. The JDP establishes a collaborative framework focused on leveraging smart technology within HD Hyundai Mipo’s shipyard operations that include artificial intelligence, communication technologies, automation and robotics. ABS will utilise its Guide for Smart Technologies for Shipyards to help HMD identify opportunities for process improvement, foc...

Technology group - Wärtsilä has announced that its breakthrough carbon capture solution (CCS) is now commercially available to the global maritime industry, delivering a step-change in shipping’s decarbonisation journey. According to Wärtsilä’s tests, the new ‘Wärtsilä Carbon capture solution’ is proven to reduce vessel CO2 emissions by up to 70 percent, providing ship owners with an immediate solution to meet increasingly stringent environm...

ABS issued an approval in principle to SBM Offshore for its concept of a near-zero floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit. The NearZero FPSO design incorporates low-carbon technologies that collectively create a 'Near Zero' Scope 3 carbon emissions profile, achieving up to 80 percent reduction in GHG emissions. Low carbon technologies The introduction of the NearZero FPSO is an important step in SBM’s strategic path to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. ABS completed de...

Helm Operations, a global pioneer in maritime operations software, is proud to announce that it has been awarded a major contract by Washington State Ferries (WSF) to replace its legacy crew dispatching system with Helm CONNECT - a modern, web-based solution purpose-built for maritime operations. As the largest ferry system in the United States, Washington State Ferries operates 21 vessels across 10 routes and 20 terminals. Helm CONNECT’s dispatching platform will transform WSF&rsquo...

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) is pleased to announce that maritime disputes expert - Andrew Rigden Green has joined the firm as a partner in Hong Kong. He was previously at Stephenson Harwood in the same city. Andrew has over 20 years’ disputes experience having begun his career focussing on arbitration and London High Court litigation. In 2012, he relocated to Hong Kong to grow Stephenson Harwood’s maritime disputes practice and establish its international arbitr...

Marine Specialised Technology (MST Group), a globally renowned designer and manufacturer of high-speed and rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) primarily for military, coast guard and law enforcement sectors is expanding to meet record demand after securing a £6 million funding package from NatWest. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Bromborough, between Ellesmere Port and Birkenhead, the company has grown to become a major employer in the Wirral area, with approximately 135 staff. MST Group&...

ABS awarded approval in principle to Seatrium Marine & Deepwater Technology for its new design of a floating wind semi-submersible (FWSS) floating column foundation for 15MW wind turbines. Seatrium highlights that the design is optimised for efficient fabrication and cost-effectiveness while being capable of handling the harshest environments. The new design concept features pontoons on three sides and a centre column that supports the turbine. ABS completed design reviews based on class an...

Event location Webinar (9 CET and 16 CET) Event date 20 May 2025 Join them for the GravityVibe Webinar on 20 May. Discover how MacGregor’s GravityVibe self-unloading system is setting a new standard in bulk cargo handling.  On 20 May, they will host two webinar sessions to suit different time zones: Session 1: 09:00 CEST | 15:00 SGT/CST Session 2: 10:00 EDT | 16:00 CEST | 22:00 SGT/CST Key benefits of GravityVibe In this upcoming webinar, MacGregor’s experts w...

Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) is proud to announce that CMA CGM Vitoria, a vessel operated by CMA CGM, one of the world’s pioneering container shipping lines, has been successfully classed with IRS. This milestone marks a significant achievement in IRS’s growing engagement with major global shipping companies and reinforces its standing as a trusted and recognised classification society on the international stage. CMA CGM’s decision to work with IRS reflects the strong tec...

Gastech 2025, the world’s largest conference and exhibition for natural gas, LNG, hydrogen, climate technologies, and AI-powered solutions, will take place in Milan from 9th to 12th September. As the industry navigates an evolving geopolitical and economic landscape, this agenda-setting event will gather and empower over 50,000 energy pioneers - including C-suite executives, policymakers, pioneering innovators, and strategic investors - to build powerful alliances and accelerate a resilie...

Wattlab, the Netherlands-based maritime solar specialist, is proud to introduce its SolarDeck to the seagoing shipping industry. SolarDeck is a modular and scalable system of deck-mounted solar panels that yield significant reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Moreover, based on installation on a seagoing general cargo vessel, SolarDeck combines substantial savings via Fuel EU Maritime and EU ETS regulations and an expected return on investment of 3-5 years. Reduce fuel costs for...

Technology group - Wärtsilä has introduced its NextDF technology for a third engine, the Wärtsilä 46TS-DF dual-fuel engine. While operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG), the Wärtsilä 46TS-DF engine with NextDF feature reduces methane emissions to less than 1.4 percent of fuel use across all load points, achieving as low as 1.1 percent in a wide load range. This is nearly three times lower than the default methane slip factor of 3.1 percent, specified in the FuelE...

Choosing the right dual-fuel propulsion system for a new vessel requires a balance of regulatory compliance, infrastructure readiness, safety considerations, operational flexibility and long-term economic viability. That’s the message from ABS in its latest publication to support shipowners who are wrestling with propulsion decisions that will impact their future fleets for years to come.  Dual-fuel propulsion options ABS Dual-Fuel Solutions for Newbuild Vessels is a wide report th...

Liferaft servicing is a necessity, not an option, but the currents shifting society from product to service-based are being felt even in this unexpected area. Back in 2016, a Danish politician caused a surprising stir by predicting in a World Economic Forum blog that - by 2030 - “I don’t own anything. I don’t own a car. I don’t own a house. I don’t own any appliances or any clothes.” Life-saving equipment quality Hi-jacked by conspiracists to portray the WE...

VIKING is a proven and trusted provider of retrofit solutions for both conventional and free-fall lifeboat installations. The extensive experience allows them to generate engineering solutions that are manufactured and installed within aggressive timescales. Upgrade and retrofit projects Operators can upgrade or replace obsolete equipment (due to age or out-of-date compliance) with minimum working impact and confidence that VIKING will meet project objectives. Installations are completed both...

VIKING uses a test tower facility to perform onshore full-scale testing of free-fall lifeboats, as required by DNVGL-ST-E406. This avoids the complexity and risk of testing from offshore installations. And the approach is recognised by classification societies and national authorities. Onshore testing to offshore activities The onshore tower facility is increasingly engaged by construction yards that wish to receive fully tested equipment that is ready to be installed on the platform or vess...

VIKING Norsafe rescue boats are used every day by thousands of operators in the oil and gas industry as well as the renewable energy sector. The design and construction of these boats showcase all of VIKING Norsafe's ability and experience. Our rescue boats and fast rescue boats provide great maneuverability with low maintenance standby and operation providing the means for effective search and recovery for people at sea. MERLIN-615 R and MAKO-655 MERLIN-615 R and MAKO-655 are available as bo...

Marinetrans, a global pioneer in logistics solutions for the maritime and offshore industries, has been awarded the project logistics contract for two Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) vessel construction projects. The contracts, spanning from 2025 to 2027, have been awarded by  Black & Veatch, a Kansas (USA)-based renowned engineering and construction company specialising in energy infrastructure.  Under the agreement, Marinetrans will provide comprehensive project logistics servi...

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group - Wärtsilä, and Höegh Evi, a pioneer in marine energy infrastructure, have successfully completed development of the world’s first floating ammonia-to-hydrogen cracker. This breakthrough technology enables floating import terminals to produce hydrogen at industrial-scale volumes from transported ammonia, marking a major step in the energy transition. The project was announced in April 2023 and is part of Norway&rsqu...

ABS presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. James S. C. Chao, Founder and Chairman of the Foremost Group. The first ABS award of its kind, the honour was presented by ABS Chairman and CEO - Christopher J. Wiernicki at the 163rd ABS Annual Members Meeting recognising Dr. Chao’s contributions to shipping and his legacy of honour, integrity and dedication to the maritime industry. Legacy of achievement Dr. Chao, who founded Foremost Group with Ruth Mulan Chu Chao in 1964, accepted hi...

VIKING Life-Saving Equipment has launched the first Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) immersion suit in the world designed for women working in offshore wind energy, using guidance on diversity and inclusivity from industry majors - Ørsted, Siemens and Vestas. The VIKING YouSafe™ Cyclone suit joins a growing portfolio of VIKING PPE whose fit and features reflect the safety needs of female seafarers, pilots and technicians in the marine and offshore industries. Equity and inclusivity stra...