Mti News

Ocean Network Express (ONE) and MTI have established a joint venture, QUAVEO, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The new company aims to promote the digital transformation of operations and business models in container shipping by utilizing AI technology.ONE operates over 260 vessels and provides container transport services connecting over 120 countries globally. The company says the need for digital transformation involving AI technology adoption—such as responding to diversifying market needs…

Pole Star Global, a leader in maritime intelligence and regulatory compliance solutions, announced the launch of the Maritime Transparency Index (MTI) — a machine learning-powered risk scoring system that transforms maritime compliance from complexity into clarity.MTI assigns vessels, voyages, and associated parties transparent scores from 0 (Hard Dark) to 5 (Transparent), distilling complex vessel histories, ownership structures, and behavioral anomalies into credit-style ratings that compliance teams…

The Connecticut Maritime Association (CMA) announced that its most prestigious honor, The Commodore Award, has been renamed The Jim Lawrence Commodore Award, effective immediately. This change commemorates the extraordinary life and lasting legacy of Jim Lawrence, who passed away on June 1, 2025, after a distinguished career spanning more than four decades in the maritime industry.Jim Lawrence's vision and dedication fundamentally shaped the modern maritime industry landscape.

A group of Japanese organizations have launched an R&D project to build a comprehensive simulation platform and demonstrate its application in shipbuilding.The initiative is designed to enable the rapid development and delivery of high-performance next-generation ships. The project will build an “integrated simulation platform” that models the entire lifecycle of ship design, construction, and operation —including the supply chain. This comprehensive approach aims to optimize ship specifications and construction plans by integrating virtual engineering into the design process.Furthermore…

NYK, MTI, and Grid Co. have jointly developed an AI-based system that automates and optimizes the allocation plan of car carriers.Full-scale operations of the system were launched at NYK in July.NYK operates more than 100 car carriers, the largest fleet in the world. Historically, ship allocation planning has been an extremely complex and labor-intensive process, requiring the comprehensive evaluation of numerous conditions for hundreds of voyages several months in advance.To overcome these issues…

"Development of Integrated Simulation Platform for Sustainable and Competitive Maritime Industry" has been selected as a R&D project under K ProgramMTI Co., Ltd. (a NYK Group company), Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING Co., Ltd., Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Japan Marine United Corporation, Mitsui E&S Co., Ltd., National Maritime Research Institute, Tsuneishi Akishima Laboratory Co.,, Graduate School of Engineering The University…

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), NYK and MTI Co., have conducted a joint workshop on port-to-port maritime autonomous surface ship (MASS) trials.The MASS trials are testing the interoperability of autonomous vessels with port-based systems, including MPA’s Vessel Traffic Information System, and enable the development of best practices and standards for navigation safety, route planning, fuel consumption, AI-based decision-making, communications and cybersecurity in the port of Singapore.Held in Singapore…

“Shipping is a people business”, so the saying goes. Jim Lawrence, who passed away at the beginning of June, truly embodied that. Certainly, he was a great participant at maritime events. When not up on the podium serving as the moderator, he would be walking around, shaking hands, talking about a particular transaction or development (and, sometimes, the intrigue behind it), along with everything that goes along with networking. He will certainly be remembered as a “people person” and deservedly celebrated for that aspect.

The University of Osaka, in collaboration with Imabari Shipbuilding, Japan Marine United Corporation, ClassNK and MTI will establish the Open Collaboration Laboratory for Enabling Advanced Marine Systems (OCEANS) at the University of Osaka in April 2025.Nihon Shipyard (NYS), a sales and design company owned by Imabari Shipbuilding and Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU), will also participate in the design and engineering research activities led by OCEANS.The initiative aims to promote the global competitiveness of Japan’s maritime industry.In an era of unprecedented change…

ABS has granted approval in principle to Monohakobi Technology Institute (MTI) for its Action Planning and Execution System (APExS-auto) maritime autonomy framework for the lifecycle management of autonomous navigation systems.The framework is crafted to be flexible, adapting to any necessary operational and design changes.The APExS-auto operational framework was developed by MTI, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha and Japan Marine Science Inc. as part of the MEGURI 2040 fully autonomous ship program.The project utilized the System-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) method…

NYK Line and MTI have filed a patent application for a technology that monitors the transport of reduced iron on bulk carriers.Reduced iron is attracting attention because it does not require coke in the manufacturing process, a benefit for decarbonization of the industry. The demand for transport by sea is expected to increase, but there is a need for appropriate cargo management on board ships to prevent overheating, fire, and explosion risks during transport, says NYK.The system uses IoT technology to acquire and remotely monitor environmental data (temperature…

NYK has tested its Hz Navi system which can reduce the energy consumption of marine generators by lowering their frequency.Current generator frequencies are set so that onboard equipment such as pumps and motors, which operate in conjunction with the power supply frequency, can perform adequately even under the worst conditions. However, operating at the normal frequency during normal navigation consumes extra power. Therefore, NYK developed a system that can reduce fuel consumption by lowering the frequency to best match optimal specifications.With Hz Navi…

NYK Bulkship (Atlantic) N.V. has installed two wind-assist VentoFoils on the bulk carrier NBA Magritte at the port of Rotterdam. The vessel is engaged in a long-term charter contract with Cargill (USA).This is the first time a unit of this type has been installed on an NYK Group vessel.Sitting on a 20-foot-long (approximately 6-meter) flat rack container with no walls, the VentoFoil has a 16-meter vertical wing that acts as suction sail which expects about five times as much force compared to no-suction versions…

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and its group company MTI Co., Ltd. (MTI), in collaboration with Smert Design Co. Ltd., launched a trial to use 3D models in the initial design phase of ship construction. Ultimately, the aim of the project is to help optimize and shorten the ship design and construction process.As part of the joint research project "Ship Design Streamlining Project by Front Loading," the three companies will implement the "Basic Design Platform" (BDP) into the ship design software CADMATIC and use it to design an LPG tanker for Kyoei Tanker Co., Ltd.

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), MTI, and Nabtesco Corporation have developed an electric diagnostic tool that records, visualizes, and analyzes the operational sounds of a vessel's engine plant for early anomaly detection.The device has been named “Kirari MUSE” and can store operational sounds from the equipment as data and use it to diagnose equipment conditions.Listening rods made of elongated metal are already widely used for diagnosing equipment conditions. By placing a listening rod on a turbine…

ClassNK is taking a leading role in the implementation of safe and efficient maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) through a program of research, rule-development, technology trials and certification.While the regulatory framework covering MASS remains a work in progress, it is clear that autonomous ship technologies are already having a transformative effect on shipping.By autonomously executing certain functions that would typically be performed by crew – especially tasks…

Tel Aviv-based maritime technology company Orca AI is continuing its collaboration with NYK Group subsidiary MTI and partners in the second development stage of the MEGURI2040 project administered by the Nippon Foundation.MTI, alongside sister entity Japan Marine Science Inc, is spearheading the Designing the Future of Fully Autonomous Ships Plus (DFFAS+) consortium comprising 51 Japan-based companies that will work together on the next phase of MEGURI2040.While the OECD projects that maritime trade volumes could triple by 2050, a skilled crew shortage is growing globally.

The design of a pioneering, fully autonomous ship framework has received approval in principle (AIP) from ABS.The fully autonomous ship framework, named APExS-auto (Action Planning and Execution System for full autonomous), was developed by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), Monohakobi Technology Institute (MTI) and Japan Marine Science Inc. (JMS) as part of the fully autonomous ship program MEGURI 2040.ABS worked with MTI and JMS to review the APExS-auto framework in accordance with the ABS Requirements for Autonomous and Remote-Control Functions.

An autonomous ship initiative by a group of companies in Japan was recognized by Japan’s Cabinet Office at Fifth Japan Open Innovation Prize Ceremony on Wednesday.The companies receiving recognition are NYK and NYK Group companies Japan Marine Science Inc., MTI Co. Ltd., and Kinkai Yusen Kaisha Ltd.The received Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award at a ceremony hosted by Japan’s Cabinet Office. The four NYK Group companies are participating in…

NYK and MTI Co., Ltd. received approval from ClassNK for a new condition-based maintenance (CBM) method implemented on NYK-owned coal carrier Noshiro Maru. The certified CBM is a method for monitoring the condition of bearings of large marine diesel engines through temperature data, a method that was adopted in the "CBM Guidelines, Second Edition"4 issued by ClassNK in 2021.In addition, the Diesel Engine Main Bearing Condition Monitoring System, which visualizes bearing temperature data that can be obtained through sensors installed on the main bearings and ship operation data…

An autonomous containership was recently trialed in the congested waters off Japan's east coast, marking another stepping stone on the path toward full-scale commercial adoption of autonomous vessel technologies.The 749-gross-ton vessel Suzaku, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning technologies from Israel-based Orca AI, completed 40 hours of navigation with full autonomy being activated 99% of time.The test run was performed by The Nippon Foundation in partnership with the Designing the Future of Full Autonomous Ships (DFFAS) consortium…

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), MTI Co., Ltd. (MTI) and Elomatic have completed the development of a concept design for an ammonia-fuel ready LNG-fueled vessel (ARLFV) for the transition to a future marine fuel.As the maritime world digests a raft of new legislation leading toward decarbonization, a main concern is the ability to leverage the full value of ships built today in a fast evolving environment. In short, flexibility in design, particularly when it comes to fuel flexibility…

NYK and NYK Group company MTI Co., Ltd. (“MTI”), together with the American Bureau of Shipping (“ABS”) and Winterthur Gas & Diesel Ltd. ("WinGD"), have started joint research for optimization of ship design by utilizing a battery-hybrid system to aid ship propulsion and thus reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from vessels.A vessel’s main-engine revolutions may increase significantly when a vessel tries to maintain its sailing speed during strong waves and winds.This phenomenon is called “load fluctuation.” The shaft generator may also increase the burden on the main engine.