Requirements News

Damen Shipyards Group has delivered a Multi Cat (MuC) 3113 to Leask Marine. The vessel was named C-Trojan in a handover ceremony at Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld’s location in the Netherlands. The MuC 3113 is a versatile vessel, purpose-built for Leask Marine’s requirements. The company’s fleet includes a Damen MuC 2712, named C-Force. Thanks to its stock building program, Damen delivered this vessel in six weeks following the signing of contract back in 2021. On this occasion, Damen was able to use a proven stock hull to construct a custom vessel.Among other things…

The term necropolitics was first coined with reference to concentration camps, apartheid regions, and historical slave plantations.It is the exercise of sovereignty which resides, to a large degree, in the power and the capacity to dictate who may live and who must die.Now researchers from Australia and New Zealand have extended the concept to fishing vessels where captains control medical decisions, food and water distribution and the use of violence onboard.Migrant fishers onboard remote fishing vessels can suffer “active” or “slow” deaths.

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has announced it has launched IMCA Skills, their leading, digital, learning hub, which will now be the go-to place for the marine industry’s competence and development needs.The first product on the new platform is the migration of the Dynamic Positioning continuing professional development learning program which is designed to be the first step in bringing all their CPD content together in the secure and easy-to-use platform which will offer improved learning and user experience.It is designed to make professional development simpler…

Italy’s Fincantieri and Spain’s Navantia have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly coordinate and execute the European Patrol Corvette (EPC) program, strengthening industrial cooperation under one of Europe’s most ambitious defense initiatives.The two shipbuilders plan to create a joint venture to manage and execute the program. The vehicle will be open to participation from other project partners, with incorporation subject to the finalization of transaction documents…

OceanTools is celebrating two projects that highlight their engineering expertise and versatility. From designing subsea pressure housings for a well-known space technology company to creating solutions for the world’s deepest oceans, their housings deliver reliability and resilience in the most extreme environments.A major U.S. space technology company approached OceanTools with detailed specifications, and they designed and built a highly intricate pressure vessel to meet their requirements.

Inmarsat Maritime, part of Viasat, has secured a contract with Vega Reederei to equip 10 new diesel-electric coaster vessels with its NexusWave bonded connectivity service.The agreement covers installation of NexusWave on the 89-meter, 3,800-deadweight-tonne short-sea general cargo ships, scheduled for delivery by July 2026. The deal also includes Fleet Secure Unified Threat Management (UTM) and Fleet Secure Endpoint cyber-security solutions.The vessels feature an innovative hull and propeller design aimed at improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions.

The 2012 Cape Town Agreement has met the requirements for entry into force and will enter into force in February 2027, closing a longstanding gap in the global maritime safety framework. The Agreement sets out mandatory safety standards for more than 45,000 fishing vessels of 24 meters in length and over, according to FAO data, helping to prevent casualties, improve working conditions for fishers, enhance competitiveness and protect the marine environment.Welcoming the milestone, IMO Secretary-General Mr.

Geert Schouten, CEO & owner of Shipbuilder:Why does more than half of all maritime projects run into trouble sooner or later? Documents, folders, version numbers…in our sector we still struggle with them every day. At countless shipyards and design offices, teams stumble over folder structures, endless searches for the right version, and long email chains. Is that real organization? It is organized chaos. And it costs us time, quality, and energy every single day. Did you know…

Argentina accedes to the Cape Town Agreement, triggering its entry into force in 12 months.The 2012 Cape Town Agreement has met the requirements for entry into force and will enter into force in February 2027, closing a longstanding gap in the global maritime safety framework. The Agreement sets out mandatory safety standards for more than 45,000 fishing vessels of 24 meters in length and over, according to FAO data, helping to prevent casualties, improve working conditions for fishers, enhance competitiveness and protect the marine environment.

Malaysia-based offshore support vessel (OSV) builder Nam Cheong has secured shipbuilding contracts worth $64.5 million from a UAE-based global energy maritime logistics company for the construction of four offshore support vessels, marking its first newbuild contract win in over a decade.The order comprises two dive support vessels (DSVs) and two 60-meter remote operated landing crafts (ROLC), with deliveries scheduled between the second half of 2027 and early 2028. All four vessels will be constructed at Nam Cheong’s Miri Yard in Sarawak…

BMT has poened its Digital Innovation & Simulation Centre (DISC) at the organisation’s Fareham site in the UK - a facility designed to provide a premium environment for high‑value simulation, immersive engineering and commercially focused engagement.The facility is powered by the BMT REMBRANDT navigation simulator - a DNV‑accredited system used globally for port feasibility, pilotage training and quantitative navigation studies - alongside new digital visualisation and synthetic environments that support autonomy assurance…

Arctic Gateway Group (AGG) has partnered with Canadian shipping company Fednav to examine the operational requirements that would be necessary to support year-round shipping from the Port of Churchill.The work for this review is underway and is expected to be completed this summer.Fednav’s work with AGG will focus on understanding the practical operational considerations of navigating ice-covered waters in Hudson Bay. This work is intended to inform Arctic Gateway’s long-term business planning…

Hanwha Ocean and Ontario Shipyards have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate the return of large-scale shipbuilding in Ontario and to strengthen Canada's ability to deliver future naval programs.In parallel, Hanwha Ocean, Ontario Shipyards and Mohawk College have entered into a Letter of Intent (LoI) to establish an embedded shipbuilding training hub at Ontario Shipyards' Hamilton facility, aligned with the sector's long-term workforce requirements.Together…

Jason Turner, Chairman and CEO of Entanglement, started the AI quantum computing company in 2017. He quickly realized it was too early. Rather than focus on quantum computing hardware, which is still on the journey to maturity, he chose to focus on quantum logic, and quantum inspired algorithms applicable to existing compute technologies.He and his team therefore turned their attention to using quantum logic. “We reframed the math into our own solvers that can solve massive problems on non-classical computer technology.

Incat Crowther has begun detailed development and naval architecture on a hydrogen fuel cell-electric fast ferry design, with initial deployment targeted for New York waters.Incat Crowther is working on the design and regulatory approval process for the new 28-metre vessel in partnership with zero-emission vessel developer SWITCH Maritime. The project includes a global team with expertise spanning ferry operations, electric propulsion, and hydrogen system safety. From their office in New York City, SWITCH is actively advancing project development activities beyond vessel design.

In many maritime organizations, the most effective people in shore-based leadership roles are those who have spent meaningful time onboard. Designated Persons Ashore and Port Captains often earn their positions not because of spreadsheets or policy expertise, but because they understand the realities of life at sea. They know how decisions made ashore ripple through watch schedules, maintenance routines, weather windows, and crew fatigue. That onboard experience is precisely what makes them so valuable to management.

GONDAN Shipbuilders placed an order with Steerprop for hybrid-capable azimuth units to be installed on a new high-performance tugboat, the first tug design from naval architect Skipsteknisk, for Norwegian shipowner Østensjø Rederi. Steerprop will supply dual-end versions of its SP 50 W D propulsors — the most powerful ducted units it has ever delivered — providing the vessel with the flexibility to operate main propulsion using a diesel engine, an electric motor, or a combination of both.

The IMO's Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response held its 13th session at IMO Headquarters in London from 9 to 13 February 2026.Outcomes include:Groundwork laid for future legally binding framework on biofoulingFollowing the decision of MEPC 83 to develop a legally binding framework on biofouling management to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species, the Sub-Committee agreed some fundamental elements that will guide this work. These include the recommendation for the framework to take the form of a standalone instrument…

Results from last year’s Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on ballast water management has revealed a change in regulatory compliance failures, which now include the actual performance, operation, and maintenance of installed ballast water treatment systems.According to Charlène Ceresola, BWT Project Manager and Regulatory expert at BIO-UV Group, Port State Control (PSC) data show that while documentation and record-keeping issues remain widespread, the most serious non-compliances are technical in nature.“When you look at the total number of compliance failures…

ClassNK and Prevention at Sea have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at delivering Dry Bulk Management Standard (DryBMS) training to shipping companies worldwide.Both parties have agreed to explore future synergies and expanded cooperation in related areas, including gap analysis and benchmarking of Safety Management Systems (SMS) against DryBMS requirements and other key maritime standards such as RightShip RISQ, SIRE, and TMSA.The collaboration also envisages undertaking…

The Daniamant DanEI-300 electronic inclinometer has achieved IMO Wheelmark (Marine Equipment Directive) approval, becoming the world’s first electronic inclinometer certified to meet IMO carriage requirements for container ships and bulk carriers.The approval confirms that the DanEI-300 complies with the requirements of Directive 2014/90/EU (MED) for Electronic Inclinometer Equipment, following successful conformity assessment under Module B (EC Type Examination) and Module D (Quality System Assessment) by the notified body DNV (Notified Body No.

ClassNK has launched a joint pilot test with ten Japanese companies for its drawing approval system ‘NK-PASS’ and the ‘ClassNK 3DViewer, both compatible with 3DMBA (3D Model-Based Approval), scheduled for official release in spring 2026.3DMBA is an approach in which approval processes are centered on 3D models instead of conventional 2D drawings, and its adoption is expanding globally. By utilizing 3D models, it is expected to enhance visualization and accuracy for information that was difficult to identify in traditional processes…

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the American Waterways Operators (AWO) announced the renewal of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that reaffirms a shared commitment between the chemical industry and the U.S. tugboat, towboat, and barge industry to enhance safety, environmental protection, and security through Responsible Care and AWO’s Responsible Carrier Program (RCP).The agreement renews a streamlined approach that enables Responsible Care Partner companies in the marine…