Imperial College News

METIS Cyberspace Technology appointed Panos Theodossopoulos as its new Chief Executive Officer.Theodossopoulos has considerable experience in leadership roles in the ICT and maritime sectors. In recent years, he has specialized in maritime digitalization, co-founding a maritime tech start-up in 2015 and later serving as Chief Digital Officer at OceanKing, a marine technical and commercial group. Previous positions include Director of Public Sector Sales at Microsoft Hellas and General Manager Cloud Divisionat SingularLogic.Eleni Polychronopoulou…

Singapore's Ministry of Transport announced that Teo Eng Dih will take over as chief executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), succeeding Quah Ley Hoon, who will step down on September 5, 2022.Teo Eng Dih, currently Deputy Secretary (Policy) of the Ministry of Defense (MINDEF), is responsible for MINDEF’s defense policy and diplomacy, strategic and public communications, and Total Defense. He oversaw the expansion of defense cooperation with international partners and strengthening of collaborations at the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM) platform.

Online valuation and data provider VesselsValue announced the appointment of Dr. Alexander Adamou to its board of directors.As an experienced mathematician and modeler in the shipping industry, Adamou will oversee the scientific research that underpins the company’s products in his new role as chief scientist. Adamou first joined VesselsValue in 2010, when he led the development of the company’s first asset valuation model.With a first class degree in Mathematics from Cambridge University and a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Imperial College London…

Offshore lifting hoists and chains solutions provider William Hackett has published an industry report aiming to help minimize the risk of Hydrogen Embrittlement (HE) and Stress Induced Corrosion Cracking (SICC). The report includes guidance on material choices used in topside and subsea lifts.Ben Burgess, Director of William Hackett Lifting Products, said, “There is a real concern across industry regarding the impact of HE and SICC on chains and links used in lift and hoist projects across offshore environments.”Peer-reviewed by a number of organizations and authorities…

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has appointed Elina Papageorgiou as its new Marine and Offshore President for UK and Ireland, commencing on April 1, 2020.Papageorgiou has held a variety of roles across North and South Europe in sales, marketing and finance functions since joining LR in 2004. Most recently, she led LR’s Marine and Offshore sales teams in 11 different countries across South Europe.Papageorgiou graduated with a BSc in Economics from Brunel University and has an MBA from Imperial College London.

A new ground-breaking study by University College London (UCL) Energy Institute, Imperial College and the University of Oxford shows how satellite tracking could be used to monitor compliance with the upcoming IMO 0.5% sulfur emission regulations and Emission Control Areas (ECA).Research conducted by their own researchers, UCL Energy and the University of Oxford and published today in Geophysical Research Letters, has unveiled discoveries that appear important on many levels for they describe the impact of shipping emissions on the climate: because fossil fuel emission particles from ships affect the air including by releasing sulfur…

A consortium of five universities, including Heriot-Watt University, working with 35 industrial and innovation partners, has unveiled the latest results from its research collaboration.The largest academic center in the world for research into robotics technology for offshore energy infrastructure, the ORCA Hub’s aim is to advance robotics and Artificial Intelligence technologies for the inspection, repair, maintenance and certification of offshore energy platforms and assets.Creating solutions to some of the most challenging, hard to reach and hazardous real-world problems in the energy sector, ORCA Hub was launched in October 2017.

ROVOP, the global subsea robotics specialist, is the latest company to join the ORCA (Offshore Robotics for Certification of Assets) Hub offshore robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems development program. The ORCA Hub is a consortium of five universities – Heriot-Watt University, University of Edinburgh, University of Liverpool, University of Oxford and Imperial College London – that are working together to develop highly specialized robotics and AI technologies for the inspection, repair, maintenance and certification of offshore energy platforms and assets.The partnership will see ROVOP support the research the ORCA Hub is carrying out in the subsea domain.

Ian Taylor, who helped build Vitol into the world's biggest oil trader, will step down as chief executive and continue as chairman, the company said on Friday, naming a long-time ally and insider, Russell Hardy, as the new group CEO. Taylor said two years ago he was battling cancer although he continued to travel the world, chasing deals from Africa to the United States and Australia while also working as chairman of the board of trustees for London's Royal Opera House. Hardy, who started his career at BP and traded fuel oil, was long seen as one of two front-runners to succeed Taylor alongside another Vitol veteran Chris Bake. Vitol said in a statement that Hardy joined the firm in 1993 and held a number of trading and management roles in Singapore and London.

Oman Drydock Company (ODC) appointed Said bin Homoud Al Mawali as Chief Executive Officer replacing Stephan Aumann who announced earlier last year by the ASYAD (formerly Oman Global Logistic Group) board of directors in Duqm/Oman. Prior to his role at ODC, Said was providing leadership and governance for the Executive Management of OTTCO since February 2014. With the 21 years extensive experience in construction, asset management, plant operations, supply chain, cost control, business development…

ABB has appointed Guido Jouret as Chief Digital Officer, reporting to ABB’s CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer, effective October 1, 2016. Jouret, a pioneer of the Internet of Things, will lead the next level of development and deployment of ABB’s digital solutions for customers globally and across all businesses. Jouret is a citizen of both the United States and Belgium, with long experience in Silicon Valley. He served for 20 years at Cisco after obtaining a PhD in Computer Science. His most recent role at Cisco was as General Manager of the Internet of Things division, which aims to connect billions of devices to the internet across a wide range of industries.

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has created an international research award to honor Hubertus von Gruenberg, who is stepping down after eight years as Chairman of the Board of Directors. The award is intended to encourage world-class research in ABB’s main fields of operation: power and automation, as applied in utilities, industries, and transport and infrastructure. The “ABB Research Award in Honor of Hubertus von Gruenberg” recognizes outstanding PhD research that makes creative use of software, electronics and/or new materials, to pave the way towards groundbreaking industrial solutions. It includes a $300,000 grant for post-doctoral research and is open to PhD graduates from any university specializing in research in power or automation.

Brunswick Corporation today announced that effective immediately, David M. Foulkes, has been promoted to the new position of chief technology officer, reporting in this additional capacity to Brunswick President and Chief Operating Officer Mark D. Schwabero. Foulkes also will retain his current responsibilities as vice president - product development, engineering and racing for Mercury Marine, Brunswick's largest operating segment. In that capacity, Foulkes will continue to report to John C. Pfeifer, President - Mercury Marine. "In this new role, David will work with all of Brunswick's businesses to ensure that they have a clear view of developing opportunities as well as a roadmap for technology evaluation and deployment to remain at the technological leading edge…

New Zealand decides this week whether to approve an underwater iron-ore operation that would likely become the world's first commercial metals mine at the bottom of the sea. A green light to allow New Zealand's Trans Tasman Resources Ltd to start iron-ore dredging off the country's west coast will encourage others looking to mine copper, cobalt, manganese and other metals deeper on the ocean floor but worried about regulatory hurdles. Along the Pacific Rim of Fire, as deep as 6,000 metres underwater, volcano crusts, "black smoker" chimneys and vast beds of manganese nodules hold promise for economic powers like China and Japan as well as many poor island states busy pegging stakes on the ocean floor.

Registration for the largest-ever Oceanology International (ExCeL London, March 11-13, 2014) is now open at oceanologyinternational.com. With 520 exhibitors from 35 countries taking up over 8,000 m2 net of space, the biennial global forum is where industry, academia and government come together to share knowledge and connect with their peers in the marine technology and ocean science community, thus improving their strategies for measuring, exploiting, protecting and operating in the world’s oceans. “It is not only the exhibition that is record-breaking, we have an impressive series of eight conferences and three highly topical panel discussions planned by the industry for the industry,” explained Event Director, James Coleman of Reed Exhibitions.

Dana Gas PJSC, a publicly-listed natural gas company in the Middle East, has announced the appointment of Patrick Allman-Ward as the new Group CEO for the company with effect from September 1, 2013. The company, which is listed on the Abu Dhabi Exchange (ADX) and recently announced the successful refinancing of its $1 billion sukuk, conducted an extensive executive search process after the retirement last year of its CEO, Ahmed Al-Arbeed, who remains a Member of the Board. The incoming CEO Dr.

Drydocks World, one of the world’s largest yards, present Annual Awards for Excellence in Health, Safety & Environment. The event was held to coincide with the World Safety & Health Day on 28, April 2013, initiated by the International Labour Organization (ILO). The awards, which are presented annually, celebrate the success of various departments and teams employed in the shipyard, including clients, contractors, service providers & business partners who have made significant contributions towards achieving Drydocks World's health…

Lloyd’s Register has announced the appointment of Chris Finlayson, Chief Executive of BG Group plc, and Ellis Armstrong, ex-CFO of E&P at BP plc, as Non-executive Directors on the board of Lloyd’s Register Group Ltd. Lloyd’s Register Group Ltd (LR) is the wholly-owned operating group of Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a U.K. charity dedicated to supporting the advancement of engineering-related education, and funding research and development that enhances safety of life at sea, on land and in the air.

WASSP Ltd has announced the expansion of the company’s senior management with the appointment of Ian McDonald as General Manager. The role is a newly created position and will see Mr McDonald overseeing WASSP’s international sales & marketing strategy for their multibeam sonar products. Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, Mr McDonald has vast experience in the marine and offshore sector and has worked with over 300 technology and life science companies and research institutions in the UK and around the world.

The recent growth of the Brazilian shipbuilding industry, with the construction of more than 20 new shipyards and efforts to modernize older shipyards, has highlighted the need for more efficient ship design and construction methods. With the increased reliance on production line automation, ship design software has become even more important. Maritime Reporter and Engineering News spoke with Mr. Bruno França,CEO of  Brazilian IT company Sincronia and ShipConstructor representative in Brazil, about the relevance of CAD based ship design software in the new Brazilian shipbuilding industry. Please tell us a little about yourself and your company (Sincronia)? My name if Bruno França, I am CEO of Sincronia.

Lloyd’s Register, the independent safety assurance and risk management organization, and Imperial College London have announced the establishment of the Lloyd’s Register Chair in Transport Risk Management at Imperial College. The Chair is located in the Centre for Transport Studies in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and will be funded by Lloyd’s Register, initially for five years. The first holder of the Chair will be Professor Andrew Evans, who will move to Imperial College on January 1, 2004. Professor Evans is at present Professor of Transport Safety in the sister Centre for Transport Studies at University College London, where he has been since 1991. Andrew Evans is an economist and statistician.

Dubai has joined hands with the Occupational Health and Environmental Respiratory Department of Imperial College London to conduct research which will focus on the respiratory health of Drydocks employees. Prof. Paul Cullinan, Head of Occupational and Environmental Respiratory Disease at the National Heart and Lung Institute - Imperial College London, had a meeting with Mr. Khamis Juma Buamim, Chairman - Drydocks World and Maritime World, to mark the beginning of a new relationship of mutual collaboration and research…

Equipped with an extensive range of ABB electrical, control and instrumentation products – including a state-of-the-art System 800xA control room - the new carbon capture pilot plant at Imperial College London was officially opened earlier this year. Built at a cost of $3 million, the plant is the only facility of its kind in an academic institution in the world. It provides unique hands-on training in the carbon capture process for Imperial’s undergraduate chemical engineering students…