Next Generation News

Freire Shipyard has celebrated the keel laying of the Tauriko, the new harvest vessel being built for the Norwegian group Napier. The vessel will become the largest in the Nordic company's fleet and the world's largest harvest vessel of its kind within the aquaculture sector. Delivery is scheduled for 2027.Designed in collaboration with Salt Ship Design, the Tauriko represents the next generation of Napier vessels for the Norwegian aquaculture industry, enhancing the performance of the current Tauroa and Tautiki vessels in terms of speed…

Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has signed a contract with research organization Inkfish for the design and construction of a deep-sea research vessel based on the VARD 9 42 design, in a deal valued at nearly $810 million (€700 million).The company said the contract is the largest order ever secured by Vard for a single vessel and the largest order of its kind for a Norwegian shipyard.The vessel, known as RV11000 during the project phase, will be 162 meters long with a beam of 28 meters.

ClassNK has released the “Guidelines for 3D Model-Based Approval (3DMBA)”, which summarizes the fundamental principles and standard practices for 3DMBA (3D Model-Based Approval), a next-generation design approval approach in which 3D models serve as the primary basis for approval.At the same time, ClassNK has released its 3DMBA-compatible drawing approval system “NK-PASS” and “ClassNK 3DViewer,” and has commenced operation of an integrated workflow for 3D model-based design approval.NK-PASS is a drawing approval management system provided by ClassNK. Traditionally used for 2D drawing approval.

All American Marine (AAM), in partnership with Harbor Breeze Cruises, announced the delivery of a new 108′ x 32.5′ Parallel hybrid passenger vessel, after successful completion of sea trials. El Escudo will now enter deployment in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California.Purpose-built to serve harbor tours, whale watch cruises, and special event dining experiences throughout the LA/Long Beach area, the vessel represents a major advancement in low-emissions passenger vessel design.

Québec-based Davie and UK-based Kraken Technology Group have announced a strategic collaboration to establish Canadian production, integration and development of Kraken’s autonomous solutions.Davie will provide Canadian capacity and capability to produce, integrate and develop Kraken’s uncrewed surface vessels and autonomous maritime systems.The announcement comes as Western governments increasingly prioritise autonomous and AI-enabled maritime capabilities as part of wider efforts to strengthen sovereign industrial capacity and accelerate naval modernisation.Philip Burns-O’Brien…

Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine partners with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) by supplying high-performance, MIL-Spec-approved coatings for a variety of platforms such as aircraft carriers, submarines, armored vehicles and aircraft. Through decades of collaboration with Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), public and private naval shipyards and contractors, Sherwin-Williams provides corrosion-resistant technologies, technical service support and reliable global distribution that extends vessel service life and lowers total ownership costs.

The U.S. Coast Guard commissioned its newest Fast Response Cutter, USCGC Vincent Danz (WPC 1162), for official entry into its service fleet during a ceremony held in New York City on Friday.The Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard, Vice Adm. Thomas Allan, presided over the ceremony. Members of the Danz family were also in attendance, including the cutter's sponsor, Ms. Angela Donohue, widow of the late Vincent Danz.“Vincent Danz’s legacy will live on not only through his family and his brothers and sisters in the NYPD…

Dajin Heavy Industry, via its subsidiary Tangshan Dajin Offshore Engineering, has signed a contract with a Dutch shipowner Jumbo Maritime to build two next-generation multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels.The contract is valued at approximately $156 million and covers the design, construction and delivery of two 25,000-deadweight-tonne vessels scheduled for phased delivery in 2028 and 2029.Each vessel will measure about 163 meters in length with a beam of around 30 meters and depth of approximately 16 meters.The ships will be equipped with two heavy-lift cranes rated at 1…

The U.S. Coast Guard commissioned its newest Fast Response Cutter, USCGC Vincent Danz (WPC 1162), for official entry into its service fleet during a ceremony held in New York City on Friday.The Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard, Vice Adm. Thomas Allan, presided over the ceremony. Members of the Danz family were also in attendance, including the cutter's sponsor, Angela Donohue, widow of the late Vincent Danz.“Vincent Danz’s legacy will live on not only through his family and his brothers and sisters in the NYPD…

The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded a $17.8 million contract to Ocean Construction Services Inc. for the construction of new engineering and weapons training facilities at Training Center (TRACEN) Yorktown, Virginia.The project is a critical step in preparing Coast Guard personnel to operate the service’s next generation of Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs) and Waterways Commerce Cutters (WCCs).The project will add 18,700 square feet of building space to Samuel Travis Hall, the training center’s Cutter and Weapons Training Building.

The U.S. Center for Maritime Innovation (USCMI), with the Maritime Administration and facilitated by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), convened maritime, energy, and public-sector leaders for its Innovation Café focused on Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technologies for maritime applications, advancing dialogue on next-generation propulsion and energy solutions for the U.S. maritime sector.As Secretariat of USCMI, ABS plays a central role in leading and facilitating industry dialogue to advance maritime innovation.

British maritime technology company SubSea Craft has announced plans to expand its operations to Virginia Beach. The company’s expansion into Virginia Beach represents a step in growing its U.S. footprint, while strengthening collaboration opportunities within one of the world’s most concentrated maritime and defense ecosystems. As part of its expansion, the company anticipates hiring for a range of positions spanning leadership, operations, field engineering, and technicians.Founded in the United Kingdom…

Fincantieri has signed a memorandum of understanding with Teijin Automotive Technologies to jointly develop advanced composite bulkheads for naval vessels, marking another step in the shipbuilder’s push to expand beyond traditional steel construction.Under the agreement, Teijin Automotive Technologies—the European arm of Japan’s Teijin Group—will lead engineering and industrialization efforts, with Fincantieri providing shipbuilding support and application expertise.The collaboration is focused on non-structural bulkheads for naval applications…

Fincantieri and Teijin Automotive Technologies have signed an agreement to develop non-structural composite bulkheads for maritime vessels, as shipbuilders seek lighter materials and new design solutions for civil and naval ships.Under the memorandum of understanding, Teijin Automotive Technologies, a European unit of Japan’s Teijin, will lead engineering and industrialization activities with support from Italy’s Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest shipbuilders.The companies…

Dassault Systèmes announced the real-world deployment of its virtual twin technology for autonomous cargo operations with Singapore-based deep-tech startup iHawk Global. The system is currently being piloted at an active 50,000 sqm container yard in Singapore, where autonomous aerial drones and ground rovers work together to capture live inventory data and provide operators with real-time asset visibility. The deployment is among the first of its kind in ASEAN for cargo operations in dense…

Japanese maritime academic and former seafarer Professor Momoko Kitada has been awarded the International Maritime Organization’s Gender Equality Award 2026. The award was presented by IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez during a ceremony held at IMO Headquarters in London (May 18) to mark International Day for Women in Maritime. The recipient of the Gender Equality Award is selected each year by a high-level panel and endorsed by the IMO Council, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women in the maritime sector.

ABS and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on a range of initiatives supporting sustainability, digital innovation and operational resilience in the maritime and offshore sectors, with a particular emphasis on accelerating the development of next-generation energy solutions.The scope of cooperation includes offshore wind development, offshore substations, small modular reactors (SMRs), offshore spaceport infrastructure…

Belgian offshore contractor DEME has officially named its new jack-up offshore transport and installation vessel, Norse Energi, strengthening its offshore wind installation fleet alongside sister vessel Norse Wind.Norse Energi wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) is soon expected to begin operations in the Baltic Sea and North Sea.The initial assignments include Iberdrola’s Windanker offshore wind farm in the German Baltic Sea from June 2026 and Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 project in…

NYK-operated car carrier Elder Leader, which is equipped with an autonomous navigation system, made its first call at the port of Singapore on April 29, 2026. On this occasion, NYK, together with the NYK Group company MTI Co., Ltd. and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), conducted a demonstration trial to verify the interoperability between the vessel’s autonomous navigation system and the port systems.The vessel is a next-generation car carrier equipped with marine DX technologies…

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has completed an in-orbit demonstration of its AI-based object detection system AIRIS, which identified ships from satellite imagery using a next-generation space-grade microprocessor unit.The AIRIS system, short for Artificial Intelligence Retraining In Space, combines an AI-equipped data processor with an earth observation camera developed by the Tokyo University of Science.MHI said the system operates onboard a satellite using the SOISOC4 space-grade MPU…

Saronic has appointed two accomplished U.S. Army leaders as Strategic Advisors to support the company’s continued growth and deepen its work with the Army:• General James E. Rainey, U.S. Army (ret.), former Commanding General, United States Army Futures Command• Brigadier General Samuel “Luke” Peterson, U.S. Army (ret.), former Program Executive Officer, Combat Support & Combat Service Support.With decades of senior leadership experience in the U.S. Army, GEN Rainey and BG Peterson bring deep expertise in force modernization…

The CMA CGM Group has signed a high-level framework agreement for joint cooperation with Keynan institutional authorities to develop Kenya’s logistics and port capacity.The objective is to accelerate solutions that support the growth of supply chain flows in and out of east and Central Africa including maritime demand, inland logistics and freight management.It has been signed as part of the Africa Forward Summit, and in the presence of the Presidents of the French and Kenyan Republics, M.

AMI Marine has passed approvals for their ACP (Panama Canal Authority) Non‑Portable Piloting Aid (NPU) option for the SMIDS Pro GNSS Speed Log system.These new approvals further strengthen the SMIDS Pro portfolio and confirm its suitability for vessels requiring reliable, compliant, and future‑ready speed and distance measurement solutions.This next‑generation system introduces new features, including:High‑precision GNSS‑based speed and distance measurement, and headingEnhanced operational reliability and performance…