Stanford News

Effective 1 August 2026, Eric Alström is appointed Group President & CEO of Hempel A/S. He succeeds Michael Hansen, who resigned and left Hempel in June 2026, and joins the company following a period of interim leadership by Peter la Cour Gormsen, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer and Emilie Barriau, Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer.Alström joins Hempel with more than 30 years of international executive leadership experience from Europe, the USA, Japan and China across industrial technology, automotive and manufacturing.

Guice Offshore, a leader in the offshore maritime mini supply vessel specialty market, announced the appointment of veteran energy finance executive Trey Stolz as Chief Financial Officer. Stolz brings more than 20 years of experience as an investment banker and equity research analyst focused on the oilfield services industry. He has spent the past nine years in senior operational roles within the sector, most recently serving as CFO for a consolidator of oilfield services companies.

HD Hyundai’s Executive Vice Chairman Chung Kisun has been promoted to Chairman.Chung holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from Yonsei University and an MBA from Stanford University in the United States. He began his career in 2009 in the Finance Team of the Corporate Planning Division at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. Since then, he has served as Head of Management Support at HD Hyundai, Head of Ship Sales at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and CEO of HD Hyundai Marine Solution.He currently serves as CEO of HD Hyundai…

The development Argentina’s vast Vaca Muerta share is transforming the nation into a rising energy exporter, with oil and pipeline gas already flowing abroad and an ambitious multi-phase ‘Argentina LNG’ initiative aiming to secure a permanent place in the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) market. While geological resources appear sufficient, the scale and pace of development, however, present challenges.‘Argentina LNG’ is a large-scale LNG scheme designed to massively develop Vaca Muerta's resources to deliver energy to domestic and international market.

Researchers at Stanford University and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia have developed a prototype device that can produce ammonia using wind energy to draw air through a mesh.The approach is an alternative to the traditional method that produces ammonia by combining nitrogen and hydrogen at high pressures and temperatures. This existing method consumes 2% of global energy and contributes 1% of annual carbon dioxide emissions from its reliance on natural gas.The study…

Schmidt Sciences has named 25 scholars working at the forefront of AI as AI2050 fellows and will award them up to $12 million to advance research that realizes the potential of AI to benefit humanity.The AI2050 program asks researchers to imagine the year 2050 where AI has been hugely beneficial and to pursue projects that help society realize this.The program will fund senior researchers and early career scholars for two years.Previous senior fellows in the first two cohorts include Prof. Kelly Chibale from the University of Cape Town, recently elected to the U.S.

With a mission to power the current and next-generation of GPS-enabled products and systems, XONA Space Systems keeps the mantra ‘precision, power and protection’ in all that it does as this 2020-start-up designs, builds and launches its fleet of low earth orbit satellites. We spoke with XONA CEO Brian Manning for his insights on how this could impact the maritime, offshore energy and subsea sectors.The following was excerpted from Maritime Reporter TV’s interview with XONA CEO Brian Manning.

Austal USA, a U.S. shipbuilding subsidiary of Australia's Austal Group, announced it has named Mark Santamaria as its new chief financial officer (CFO).“Mark’s extensive background in government and commercial contracting environments is a valuable asset to Austal USA,” stated Austal USA president Michelle Kruger. “We are excited to have him on our senior leadership team and look forward to benefiting from his financial management experience.”Santamaria has served as CFO for several major defense contractors throughout his lengthy career.

Singaporean shipbuilding group Seatrium announced it has appointed Adrian Teng as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective January 1, 2024.Teng brings over two decades of diverse international experience in strategy, finance, restructuring, operations and corporate management across developed and emerging markets. Prior to his current appointment, Teng was Group Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Clifford Capital Holdings, with responsibilities in finance, treasury…

Canceled offshore wind projects, imperiled solar factories, and fading demand for electric vehiclesA year after the passage of the largest climate change legislation in U.S. history, meant to touch off a boom in American clean energy development, economic realities are fraying President Joe Biden’s agenda.Soaring financing and materials costs, unreliable supply chains, delayed rulemaking in Washington and sluggish permitting have wrought havoc ranging from offshore wind developer Orsted’s project cancellations in the U.S.

A Chinese research ship and five escort vessels were in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on Friday, close to gas blocks operated by Russian firms in the South China Sea, a day after Vietnam urged the ships to leave.The Chinese vessel Xiang Yang Hong 10 began operating in Vietnam's EEZ on May 7, representing the most significant incursion since 2019, according to Ray Powell, who leads Stanford University's Project Myoushu on the South China Sea.He said China's conduct and Vietnam's reaction were a "worrying escalation."China claims most of the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, including areas that are within Vietnam's EEZ. The 2019 standoff lasted for more than three months and largely targeted a block then operated by Russian state oil firm Rosneft ROSN.MM.

A Chinese research vessel flanked by coast guard and nearly a dozen boats on Wednesday entered a gas block operated by Russian and Vietnamese state firms, two monitoring groups said, another potential flashpoint in the South China Sea.It follows a pattern of assertive moves of late by Beijing in its neighbors' exclusive economic zones (EEZ), as it presses its claim to sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, testing the United States and its allies at a time of heightened regional tension.Strong relations between Russia and China are a major factor supporting global stability…

Grandweld shipyard has won a contract with offshore support vessel firm Stanford Marine to build two 42-meter GrandSuperior crew boats with the keel-laying ceremony recently completed. These are Grandweld’s 11th and 12th vessels built for Stanford Marine.Jamal Abki, General Manager of Grandweld Shipyards said “In 2021, we have secured multiple shipbuilding contracts worth $30 million. Although 2020 was difficult for the industry as a whole, we saw a surge in business. This has continued in 2021 and we now have a solid order book until the end of 2022.

Highlighted in Marine Technology Reporter's MTR100 is the work and technology ongoing in the halls of academia. The most recent report released by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emphasized our warming planet, an expected announcement for many in the scientific community. Faced with the confirmation that human activities have caused an increase in global temperatures, research has turned to seeking answers in the planet’s natural systems. How does each part of the global carbon cycle work and how may it be impacted by the changing climate?

A new Mayflower has been launched in Plymouth, 400 years after its historic namesake set sail from southwest England to America.The new vessel won't be carrying pilgrim settlers across the Atlantic. In fact, it won't hold any crew or passengers at all. The sleek AI- and solar-powered trimaran is autonomy level five, meaning it can operate independently with no human intervention. Next year, it will embark on the famous ocean voyage from Plymouth, England to Plymouth, Mass. completely autonomously…

The U.S. Coast Guard and Air National Guard completed a four-day, long-range, joint rescue mission to medevac a critically injured 39-year-old man aboard a cargo ship located approximately 1,300 miles west of San Francisco, Friday.The Hong-Kong-flagged bulk carrier Ocean Applaud contacted 11th Coast Guard District command center watchstanders Monday regarding a crewmember who reportedly fell 30 feet while working on the vessel.Due to the limited offshore range of Coast Guard aircraft…

An injured crewmember aboard a Taiwanese flagged containership was medevaced approximately six miles from the San Francisco Bay, Friday evening, the U.S. Coast Guard said.San Francisco Vessel Traffic Service personnel contacted Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders, reporting a crewmember of the 1,092-foot containership Yang Ming Unanimity had fallen and struck his head on the ship’s radar mast creating a laceration on his forehead as the ship was making its way toward…

Former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead was elected as the chairman of the board of directors of Fincantieri Marinette Marine Corporation July 10.Roughead was the 29th Chief of Naval Operations from 2007 - 2011, after holding six operational commands. He is one of only two officers in the history of the Navy to have commanded both the U.S. Atlantic and Pacific Fleets.Roughead served in several key positions aside from his sea duties, most notably as the commandant of the U.S.

Austal USA hosted the christening of the future USS Oakland (LCS 24). This is the first of three U.S. Navy ships to be christened at Austal’s state-of-the-art ship manufacturing facility in 2019.Oakland is the 12th of 19 Independence-variant littoral combat ships (LCSs) Austal USA has under contract with the U.S. Navy. The ship’s sponsor, Kate Brandt, a recipient of the Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest award the U.S. Navy can give to a civilian, headlined the group of officials…

ExxonMobil has signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) as part of its efforts to advance lower-emissions technologiesExxonMobil will fund operations of the two institutions to the tune of $100 million over the next 10 years, looking to bring biofuels and carbon capture and storage to commercial scale across the transportation.“The agreement adds to our work with more than 80 universities around the world and with five energy centers – at MIT, Princeton, Stanford, the University of Texas and two national universities in Singapore…

When the global oil industry held its biggest annual gathering this week in the Swiss town of Davos, it invited banking bosses and fund managers to discuss two key topics - climate change and pressure from investors.The conclusion of the discussions was worrying for those present - pressure is rising and the industry is losing a battle not to be seen as one of the world's biggest evils.The answer? Lure investors with higher returns and raise the PR game."There is no doubt - and…

Creditors of Stanford Marine Group (SMG), which has links to troubled private equity firm Abraaj, are in talks with three potential buyers, sources familiar with the matter say.Banks are overseeing control of Dubai-based SMG after it failed to meet the terms of its debt obligations due to financial stress linked to a steep fall in chartering rates, the sources said.SMG, which operates offshore supply vessels that service the oil and gas industry, is 51 percent owned by a fund managed by Abraaj. Dubai-based Abraaj filed for provisional liquidation in June after a row with investors over the use of their money in a $1 billion healthcare fund.

Harvey Gulf International Marine’s parent, HGIM Corp., has announced the appointment of a new Board of Directors to serve following the company’s emergence from Chapter 11 proceedings.The seven member Board includes two current members remaining on the Board and five new members, each with expertise in individual areas particularly suited to support the company’s operation and development and collectively, creating a leadership platform that will enable Harvey Gulf to adjust and thrive in an ever-changing market. Shane Guidry. Mr. Guidry remains the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer for HGIM Corp. Mr. Guidry is the third generation in his family to lead Harvey Gulf. Mr.