Maritime Center News

Jennifer Carpenter joined The American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association representing the inland and coastal tugboat, towboat and barge industry, in August 1990 and became its president and CEO in January 2020. She highlights some of the greatest focus areas for the 80-year-old trade group—simultaneously looking at both the present day and the road ahead.The towboat, tug and barge industry is in a period of rapid evolution. How is AWO—now in its 80th year…

The U.S. Coast Guard announced a new merchant mariner credential (MMC) set to launch on March 1, 2024, marking the first comprehensive revision of the mariner credential in nearly a decade.The Coast Guard is the exclusive source of U.S. MMCs, which are required for U.S. mariners who serve on commercially operated vessels such as passenger boats, tug and barges, offshore supply vessels, and deep draft ocean going cargo vessels throughout the nation and internationally.The Coast…

The Zero Emission Adriatic Ship (ZEAS) project has commenced, with 13 partners from various European Countries. The overall project grant from EU Horizon is over EUR 13.5 million, where over EUR 2.3 million is reserved to TECO 2030’s deliverable of 1.2MW of fuel cells for full vessel propulsion.The project focuses on a full-scale demonstration of a hydrogen fuel cell-powered system on a ship, tailored for operation in the Adriatic Sea's delicate marine ecosystem. Key activities include the design and construction of the ship…

For the 10th year in a row, Singapore ranks first in the Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Center Development Index (ISCDI) Report.Published jointly by the Chinese state news agency, Xinhua and global maritime data provider Baltic Exchange, the report lists Singapore as the global leading maritime center, followed by London and Shanghai.The island nation scored 95.32 out of a possible 100 points, while London scored 83.35 points and Shanghai took third place with 81.58 points.Singapore has held the top position since the index began a decade ago.

Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) said it has started offering its Global Wind Organization Basic Technical Training (GWO BTT) course to community members, opening the door to those on Martha’s Vineyard interested in a potential career in the offshore wind industry.Massachusetts Maritime Academy is one of the first institutions in the Northeast to offer this type of training. The goal is to help broaden the landscape of local job opportunities in the fast-emerging offshore…

The American Waterways Operators (AWO) is taking action to help address an industry need and a national imperative to recruit, retain and develop the next generation of maritime employees.As much as the tugboat, towboat and barge industry contributes to our nation’s prosperity and security today, we are an industry with an incredibly bright future that has even more to offer in the years to come. Our industry is uniquely positioned to be part of the solution as shipper-customers…

On Thursday October 6, Captain Richard Phillips, author of A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea, will discuss his encounter, his remarkable rescue and lessons learned, in an Ed Fouhy Speaker Series program presented by the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center. The program will begin at 7:00 PM at Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Admirals Hall, 101 Academy Drive, Buzzards Bay, MA.The now-famous hostage standoff began on Wednesday, April 8, 2009 when a small band of Somali pirates swung a ladder from their skiff onto the MV Maersk Alabama…

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.

Singapore has held onto its status as the world's top maritime hub for the ninth consecutive year, according to a recent index report.The Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index Report, jointly published annually by Chinese state news agency, Xinhua, and global maritime data provider, the Baltic Exchange, has ranked Singapore as the global leading maritime center every year since the report's inception.The city state scored 94.88 out of a possible 100 points, while second on the list was maritime professional services stronghold, London, with 83.04 points.

A £25 million maritime center of excellence development project has been proposed to focus on innovation, engineering, R&D, entrepreneurship and training within the heart of Wirral Waters in the U.K.Peel L&P has formally submitted a planning application to Wirral Council to build the proposed Maritime Knowledge Hub, which would provide a high-level industrial and maritime facility, supporting the region’s £5 billion maritime ecosystem where research and innovation will focus on areas such as decarbonization of the maritime industry as well as technology transfer from other industries.

Applied Telematics is the new name for AST Marine Sciences Limited, a provider of remote monitoring and asset management services for fishing enforcement authorities, vessel owners and commercial operators of fixed and mobile assets globally.Applied Telematics, part of The AST Group, was given the new brand and operating name to reflect the its expertise in telemetry and services—its core focus and business—the company said,As part of this rebrand, the firm's growing team of maritime experts have moved into new offices in Norwich…

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore Singapore (BV) has launched a new Center of Excellence - the innovation Center of Alternative Renewables Energy (iCARE), supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).Aligning itself with Singapore’s goal of driving innovation to increase competitiveness in maritime, iCARE as a Center of Excellence (CoE) will drive sustainable growth and new technology in Singapore. By creating an enabling environment for value innovation in the industry…

Crowley Maritime Corporation and Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) said Tuesday they'd create a first-of-its-kind training and workforce development program dedicated specifically to the New England region’s offshore wind energy industry.The program will be certified by the Global Wind Organisation (GWO), a non-profit that sets international standards for safety training. The academy will coordinate with Relyon Nutec, the world’s largest provider of specialized instruction for energy and industrial sectors…

The Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) announced Capt. Michael R. Burns Jr. as the first Executive Director of the Academy’s Maritime Center for Responsible Energy (MCRE). In this new role, Capt. Burns will oversee the MCRE that was established in August 2021 to deliver training to the renewable energy industry, develop robust, collaborative relationships with renewable energy stakeholders, and coordinate all the Academy's renewable energy efforts. Capt. Burns will lead all aspects of the Center’s work…

MSC Group's Cruise Division has signed a contract with Fincantieri for the construction of a new mega cruise terminal at PortMiami, a North America and the Caribbean cruise hub.The new terminal reflects an investment of approximately €350 million ($414.4 million) and will be made up of a multi-level central body to serve as many as three latest generation ships at the same time, with up to 36,000 travelers transiting every day. Designed by the award-winning global architecture firm Arquitectonica…

Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration announced the designation of 27 Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE), recognizing community colleges and training institutions that prepare students for careers in the U.S. maritime industry.One of the 27 schools and institutions recognized is the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI).The designation allows CCRI to work with MARAD to enter into cooperative agreements to help advance recruitment of students and faculty…

MM-SEAS is the reportedly the first software that automates the manual task of obtaining, tracking and renewing U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) credentials, helping to eliminate paperwork processing errors while delivering merchant mariner career guidance.Civilian mariners are required to have valid USCG Merchant Mariner Credentials (MMC) to be onboard any commercial or federal ship in the United States. Credentialing is a complex and vague process. From 2012 to 2018, 44.9 percent of approximately 500…

Electric propulsion and hybrid drives manufacturer Torqeedo said it ha established direct distribution in Norway to address the growing market for its systems in the region.Norway has a long tradition of seafaring and is a world maritime center for shipping, shipyards and maritime infrastructure, commercial fishing, offshore oil/gas, ferries, pleasure boats and a rapidly growing offshore wind industry.“Norway is a world leader in the movement toward electrification of land and water transportation…

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ABS to renew its partnership in maritime research, development and innovation. The signing was witnessed by Chee Hong Tat, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Transport and Foreign Affairs, at the Singapore Maritime Institute’s SMI Forum 2020 themed “Future of Port and Shipping”.Under this agreement, MPA and ABS will collaborate on projects relating to decarbonization, AI-driven decision support tools…

Has the age of maritime discovery and exploration actually ended? Perhaps not exactly. As the history of maritime resilience and the human element shows, as far back as the 1500s and earlier, from using new navigational aids and improved ship designs, to coastal and inland route sailing, to navigating on open seas with uncertain charts, wayward icebergs, dense fog and luckily at times, clear starry nights, mariners have faced human element and maritime resiliency challenges. "Short of food and water…

Singapore, which counts decarbonization among its top priorities, holds a key role in the maritime industry's push toward environmental sustainability, the nation's transport minister Ong Ye Kung said Thursday during the Future of Shipping Webinar on Decarbonization.One-third of world trade funnels through the narrow Straits of Malacca and Singapore, giving the small city state prominence and influence as the world's most important shipping hub."Being so dependent on the maritime economy as a city state…

A new bill introduced in the U.S. aims to make available $200 million in grant funding for community and technical colleges offering training programs for maritime industry professions. The legislation H.R. 7456 was introduced by Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia (Texas-29) alongside Rep. Don Young (Alaska-At-Large), Rep. Anthony G. Brown (Md.-04), Rep. Brian Babin (Texas-36), and Rep. Steven Palazzo (Miss.-04).“Maritime industry jobs are a critical part of our nation’s economy. Yet research has shown that there may soon be a shortage of maritime industry workers,” said Congresswoman Garcia.

The Antwerp port community and its various partners are currently on a trade mission to West-Africa, including Benin and Nigeria.A collaboration agreement was signed between Port of Antwerp International (PAI), the consultancy and investment subsidiary of Port of Antwerp, and APEC, its maritime training center, and Nigerian Ports Authority, which manages the 6 ports of Nigeria. This collaboration, which will mainly take the form of training and consulting, underlines the leading role that the port of Antwerp plays in West Africa.The port of Antwerp is known in Africa as the maritime center of Europe, thanks to the numerous supply chain connections. The synergy between maritime, logistics and industrial activities creates a unique platform.