Real Time News

Virginia Beach Economic Development (VBED) announced that Orca AI Defense, the U.S. subsidiary of global maritime technology company Orca AI, has established its first U.S. office as a new tenant of the Virginia Beach International Incubator.Headquartered in London, Orca AI has developed AI-powered maritime navigation technology that enhances situational awareness, improves vessel navigation, and helps prevent collisions. The company's commercial platform has achieved TRL 9 status and is currently deployed on more than 1…

Rather than pinning its decarbonization hopes on future tonnage, shipping can pursue its goals today by retrofitting available technology to existing, conventionally fueled vessels, explains David Sakandelidze, Business Manager for Energy and Efficiency, Berg Propulsion.The International Maritime Organization's (IMO) target for net-zero emissions from ships by around 2050 is now only 24 years away—less than the average lifetime of a commercial ship. Today, 112,000 active vessels emit approximately 1.05 billion metric tons of combined annual emissions.

TDI-Brooks recently completed a third-party geotechnical project offshore Alaska, supporting a short cable route survey for Woolpert utilizing their Gravity CPT Stinger (gCPT) system. The project consisted of a geophysical and geotechnical survey for a marine cable route in the Valdez Arm.Designed for rapid deployment in remote and challenging environments, the gCPT tool enables efficient in-situ soil characterization without the need for conventional drilling.

MacGregor has expanded its offshore technology portfolio with a certified floating-to-floating personnel transfer capability for its Horizon gangway and a new bow transfer system designed for direct ship-to-well transfer of LCO2.The Horizon gangway has received DNV certification under DNV-ST-0358 for floating-to-floating personnel transfers following a successful sea acceptance test. The certification enables motion-compensated connections between two vessels moving independently…

Oceaneering International, Inc. announced it is now an authorized Starlink reseller, expanding its portfolio of digital solutions available to offshore, maritime, and industrial customers operating in remote and challenging environments.Starlink is a connectivity solution and can be integrated into connectivity architectures designed to support operational continuity across remote and offshore operations.Reliable connectivity plays an important role in supporting today's offshore and industrial operations…

Kongsberg has unveiled plans to add three more satellites to its N3X maritime surveillance constellation in early 2027, doubling the number of satellites in the network to six as it expands space-based monitoring capabilities for the Norwegian Armed Forces.The additional satellites are intended to improve revisit rates and provide near-real-time coverage, strengthening maritime situational awareness for Norway and international partners.The expansion builds on the deployment of three initial N3X satellites in 2025…

Portchain and X-Press Feeders have announced a partnership to bring digital solutions to the feeder market through the deployment of Portchain Connect.The project will optimize berth alignment through real-time data exchange, enhancing just-in-time (JIT) arrivals and improving overall operational efficiency. By leveraging Portchain's digital tools, X-Press Feeders aims to enhance planning accuracy and operational responsiveness, supporting lower fuel consumption and associated…

OpenTug announced a strategic collaboration with Blessey Marine Services, Inc., a provider of inland marine transportation solutions, to modernize voyage invoicing through BargeOS. By implementing BargeOS Invoice Intelligence, Blessey will connect operational and financial workflows to automate invoice processing, improve billing visibility, and enhance financial transparency across its customer network.Through the implementation, Blessey Marine will process voyage costs in near real time, incorporating vendor expenses, operational data, and voyage activity into a unified billing workflow.

From the killer shark of "Jaws" to the tornado-tossed predators of the "Sharknado" movies, films long have portrayed sharks as objects of summer fear. But when a shark cuts through the waters off the U.S. East Coast, it now may be doing more than hunting. It may also be gathering data that helps scientists understand the potential intensity of a hurricane before it makes landfall.University of Delaware researchers are testing whether sharks can serve as mobile near-real-time ocean-data observers…

The maritime industry faces the dual challenge of reducing emissions while remaining economically competitive. As a result, energy efficiency is becoming one of the key drivers of the sector's transformation.Against this backdrop, SMM will launch the Energy Efficiency Hub, a dedicated exhibition area focusing exclusively on energy efficiency, September 1-4, 2026. Under the motto "Efficiency First: Powering the Future of Shipping," 24 companies from Europe, Asia and the Middle East will showcase solutions designed to improve energy efficiency in shipping.

ADNOC, in collaboration with SLB, has deployed its AI-enabled Real-Time Operations Center (RTOC) platform across its fleet of over 120 rigs, providing teams with a faster and more connected way to monitor, analyze and manage drilling operations across its onshore and offshore assets. The RTOC replaces multiple tools and reduces engineering effort by 30-40%, enabling engineers to support two to three times more rigs while maintaining effective oversight. Through automated dashboards and AI-powered performance insights…

India is taking a step into the global marine autonomy market after the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) certified Accurate Industrial Control’s newly built patrol boat featuring collision avoidance software. The IRS has awarded the certification to Accurate Industrial Controls for its ‘Intelligent Situational Awareness and Collision Avoidance’ (ISACA) tech stack following sea trials on board a new 13m workboat, built for Accurate at SHM Shipyard Limited in Mumbai. The sea trials took place in the Arabian Sea off Karwar, India.

The American maritime industry depends on policy that supports economic growth and investment and protects national security; however, recent policy decisions have too often relied on broad administrative actions and outdated assumptions rather than modern, data-driven approaches. The extension of the Jones Act waiver and the continued use of rigid seasonal dredging windows illustrate this trend. Though distinct issues, both carry significant consequences for maritime investment, operational efficiency, and the long-term strength of the maritime industry.

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering has signed an agreement with Siemens Digital Industries Software to develop an AI-powered shipyard.The next-generation marine platform is centered on integrating the entire shipbuilding process—from vessel design and production to supply chain management, quality control and maintenance—into a single 3D-model-based data environment powered by AI and digital technologies, enabling the use of consistent information across every stage of the process.Through the platform…

Cooperative Ventures has announced an investment in OpenTug, an AI-native logistics technology company specializing in inland and coastal marine transportation. Cooperative Ventures, a joint venture between CHS Inc. and GROWMARK, focuses on investing in agtech startups and developing mutually beneficial commercial relationships between startups and partners. In addition to Cooperative Ventures investment in OpenTug, CHS is working to implement the barge management system to build…

The US domestic and global maritime industry in 2026 stands at a critical crossroads, caught between structural labor deficits and an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape. Shipping has undergone a transition since Covid-19, moving away from decades of relative stability with defined trade flows toward operating conditions that grow more complex and volatile by the year. Historic energy routes have shifted, uncertainty has settled over key maritime chokepoints, and global supply chains have absorbed the disruption.

Shipping companies are avoiding using a U.S. military-guided transit scheme through the Strait of Hormuz after a wave of Iranian attacks on vessels sparked safety concerns, seven maritime security and shipping industry sources said.For decades ships sailed into and out of the Gulf using a safe set of lanes down the middle of the strait established by the U.N.’s shipping agency in 1968 dubbed the Traffic Separation Scheme.Since the Iran war began on February 28, Iranian forces have mined this area…

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have agreed to a joint commitment to overhaul bureaucratic processes and accelerate coastal resilience efforts.The agreement follows the "Summit at Sea Level," hosted by CPRA and DOTD on Friday, June 26, 2026, in Baton Rouge. The event marked a convergence of top national, state, and local figures, bringing them together with federal partners…

ACUA Ocean's Mk1 USV PIONEER has successfully completed a five-day remotely operated offshore demonstration, validating persistent, multi-domain maritime operations using an uncrewed surface vessel.On Monday 22 June 2026, PIONEER departed Turnchapel Wharf, Plymouth, and operated continuously 16–20 nautical miles offshore until Friday 26 June, completing more than 100 hours at sea without physical intervention. The demonstration combined two independent mission systems operating simultaneously:A CommsAudit SPECTRA Super Resolution Direction Finding (SRDF) surveillance system…

Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, has secured an agreement with Hapag-Lloyd to deploy NexusWave across its global fleet, following successful onboard trials of the fully managed bonded connectivity service.Hapag-Lloyd began evaluating NexusWave in 2024 as part of its broader digitalization roadmap and Strategy 2030 ambitions. During the trial phase, direct crew feedback highlighted the service’s ability to deliver a consistent “home-like” internet experience with consistent global availability.

KONGSBERG has supplied a comprehensive package of advanced ocean science and navigation technologies for RV Anna Weber-van Bosse, the new ocean research vessel owned and operated by Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ).Christened on the island of Texel in early March, the 80-meter newbuild has been outfitted with a range of innovations including HiPAP acoustic positioning systems, EM304 and EM2040 multibeam echosounders, TOPAS sub-bottom profiling technology, advanced echosounders for water column observation…

Danish marine equipment supplier Svanehoj has secured its first contract to supply LNG tank gauging systems for the conversion of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier into a floating storage unit (FSU).The company will deliver four LNG density and temperature (LTD) gauging systems to Drydocks World Dubai for the conversion of the LNG carrier LNG Bayelsa into the FSU Cap Lopez.The conversion is being carried out for Dixstone Lower Gulf FZCO as part of a floating LNG development aimed at expanding Gabon's offshore gas infrastructure.

Artificial intelligence and cloud-native technologies have moved from innovation projects to operational priorities for shipping companies, according to Fleetwork, following its participation in Posidonia 2026.The Greek maritime technology company, developer of the first fully cloud-based maritime ERP platform built in Greece, reported strong interest from shipowners and operators seeking to modernize fleet management, streamline workflows and unlock greater value from operational data through Al-powered and cloud-native solutions.