Together News

The Port of Valencia is strengthening its position as a proving ground for maritime technology innovation, with the sixth edition of the Valenciaport Hackathon bringing together international startups to develop solutions aimed at real-world deployment within the port's operational environment.Organized by Opentop, the Port of Valencia's open innovation hub, this year's competition attracted more than 40 startup and scale-up applicants from around the world, making it the event's most international edition to date.

In an age of regulatory shift, geopolitical uncertainty and commercial pressure it can be difficult to keep decarbonisation efforts on track. How can you plan for tomorrow when today’s realities are so demanding? With the theme of Nor-Shipping 2027 front of mind, Cristina Saenz de Santa Maria, CEO Maritime at DNV, believes the NEXT thing shipping companies should address is also the most obvious. While a wide range of new fuels and technologies will ultimately drive shipping towards its ambitious goal of achieving net-zero by 2050…

The CMA CGM Group celebrated the naming ceremony of the CMA CGM NOTRE DAME in Le Havre, the newest vessel in its fleet.Measuring nearly 400 meters in length, 61 meters in width and with a capacity of up to 24,000 TEUs, the CMA CGM NOTRE DAME is the largest containership operating under the French flag. It is also the largest LNG-powered containership in the world. Its liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion technology significantly reduces emissions of sulphur oxides, fine particulate matter…

International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Publications launches the sixth edition of Shipping and the Environment: A Guide to Environmental Compliance, offering an expanded and accessible overview of how shipping relates to environmental protection and global regulation.Developed for a broad audience, including shipping companies, seafarers, policymakers, and those new to the maritime sector, the guide provides a clear introduction to environmental requirements affecting shipping today, alongside developments expected in the years ahead.

ABS has launched Eagle CRoute, an online tool designed to help containership operators improve operational flexibility through route-based lashing reduction factor calculations.Changing port rotations, blank sailings, evolving stowage plans and shifting geopolitical conditions are increasing pressure on operators to make faster loading decisions. Eagle CRoute supports these decisions by calculating specific reduction factors for onboard lashing force assessments for any given…

The offshore energy industry is in the midst of a new investment cycle, driven by major developments in South America, renewed demand for energy security and an increasing reliance on digital technologies to improve asset performance. For Matt Tremblay, Senior Vice President, Global Offshore at the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), the opportunities are significant — but so are the challenges.Speaking with Offshore Engineer in Houston, Tremblay described an industry that is “very busy…

On 29 May 2026, Vantage Drilling International and Eldorado Drilling signed a merger agreement under which Eldorado will acquire Vantage, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. As part of the transaction, Vantage shareholders will receive $19 per share in cash, valuing the company at approximately $257.6 million. The combined entity will continue to operate under the name Vantage Drilling International.Post-transaction, the company’s fleet will comprise four drillships - including…

Jotun COSCO Marine Coatings signs agreement covering 125 newbuilding vessels with COSCO SHIPPINGJotun COSCO Marine Coatings (JCMC) participated in the Global Partners Conference held by COSCO SHIPPING (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. and COSCO Shipping (Hainan) Co., Ltd. in Boao, Hainan on June 26, bringing together industry partners to exchange insights on sustainable shipping and hull performance.

While oil and gas are once again flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, the closure of the vital waterway for over 100 days could prove to be a turning point in global energy markets. The Arab oil embargo of 1973, a similarly disruptive supply shock, offers clues about where we might be headed.The latest Middle East crisis tested the limits of the modern energy system, which has evolved over recent decades into a highly interconnected global market held together by thousands of tankers…

The Administration has made American manufacturing, shipbuilding, and supply chain resilience national priorities. The Great Lakes region is home to steel, autos, agriculture, energy infrastructure, defense suppliers, and advanced manufacturing. The St. Lawrence Seaway carries maritime commerce into that region.Recent events in the Strait of Hormuz have reminded policymakers and the public that maritime transportation matters. Strategic waterways matter because transportation costs matter.

Crude shipments through the Strait of Hormuz rose this week to their highest level since the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran began in February after a ceasefire deal reopened the waterway, data showed on Thursday.Concerns about how long the strait would stay open also boosted trade.Still, while there was an increase in oil shipments amid strong demand, especially in Asia after months of disruptions, overall sailings are still a fraction of the daily average of 125 ships passing…

MPC Container Ships (MPCC) has agreed to acquire four eco-conventional container vessels for a total of $340 million, each backed by a three-year fixed-rate time charter with a top-five liner company, as it advances its fleet modernization program.The vessels, built in 2023 and 2024 and each with a capacity of 7,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), are expected to be delivered in October and November 2026, subject to inspection and customary closing conditions.The fixed-rate…

The maritime industry continues to improve its safety record, but the challenges confronting shipowners, operators, insurers and regulators have never been more complex.According to Allianz Commercial's Safety and Shipping Review 2026, global shipping losses remain near historic lows, yet a new era of geopolitical conflict, cyber-enabled crime, aging fleets, alternative fuels, cargo fires and supply chain disruption is reshaping risk across the maritime sector. Here is maritime safety and shipping in 2026 — by the numbers.90% -Approximately 90% of global trade still moves by sea…

Japanese offshore services company MODEC has secured a contract to supply a SOFEC internal turret mooring system for the Coral Norte floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) project offshore Mozambique, being developed by Eni and its partners.MODEC is collaborating with the Technip Energies-JGC joint venture on the project to support integration and execution of the mooring system.The Coral Norte project is being developed by Eni together with CNPC, ENH, XRG and KOGAS.The project…

Looking back at history one could argue that it was French author Jules Verne in his book “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”, published in 1869, who was speculating about a new power source much in the same out of the box thinking that H.G. Wells employed when he wrote about inter-planetary flight in “War of the World’s. Verne was writing about “electricity” from batteries using seawater which he created after studying the model of the newly developed French Navy submarine “Plongeur” at the Exposition of 1867.In the novel…

At the head of the U.S.’ largest ferry system is Steve Nevey, Deputy Secretary, Washington State Ferry (WSF), which is engaged in a historic modernization to a hybrid-electric fleet. Nevey gives a candid look inside problems during the Wenatchee conversion, with insights on the hybrid electric direction and pace for newbuilds at Eastern Shipbuilding.Steve Nevey did not stumble into maritime. He was raised in it, shaped by it, and by most accounts destined for it. Born in the UK, Nevey grew up in a naval household.

Autonomous vehicles are increasingly sophisticated defensive tools for ports wanting to protect against maritime threats - including attacks from other autonomous vehicles.In December 15 last year, the Security Service of Ukraine reported that its underwater drone had struck a Russian submarine in Novorossiysk. The incident highlighted just how sophisticated potential threats have become. Harbor cameras were likely hacked, providing real-time visual evidence of the attack, with…

OCIMF announced the appointment of Don Davis as its new Managing Director. Don joins the organisation at a pivotal moment, as OCIMF enters a new phase following the recent evolution of its mission and brand to support maritime safety across the wider energy sector.Don will join OCIMF on secondment from Chevron and assume the role on July 1, 2026. He succeeds Karen Davis, who will remain with the organization until the end of June to support a smooth leadership transition.The appointment comes at a milestone in OCIMF’s evolution.

Maritime engineering consultancy BMT and Australian shipbuilder Austal have signed a strategic agreement aimed at expanding ship design and engineering capacity while supporting the delivery of commercial and defense shipbuilding programs.The agreement establishes a framework that allows Austal to access specialist naval architecture and engineering resources as project requirements fluctuate, helping the company manage peak workloads and reduce schedule risks.Under the arrangement…

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had held a "very good" conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G7 summit in France and that their two countries were working on trade deals.Trump called Modi a "tough negotiator," and told reporters that he would be going to India "sometime in the future".India has been pressing the United States for months for a Trump trip, potentially as part of a meeting including Japan and Australia.The two leaders' meeting is their first since February 2025…

Geopolitical uncertainty, decarbonization, digitalization and new energy efficiency requirements are fundamentally reshaping the maritime industry. At the joint press conference for SMM 2026, MS&D Conference & Expo and ALL ABOUT PORTS, representatives from industry, shipping the port sector and maritime organizations discussed the key challenges and opportunities facing the future of the industry. While SMM puts the key future challenges facing the maritime industry centre stage, the MS&D Conference & Expo focuses on current issues in maritime security and defense.

ABS, Polaris Shipping, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and autonomous navigation solutions provider AVIKUS have signed a four-party Concept Study Agreement for the implementation of a Conditional Unmanned Bridge.Under the agreement, the parties will jointly develop an autonomous navigation concept enabling unmanned bridge operation during deep-sea voyages, when defined conditions are met, on one of Polaris Shipping's 325K Very Large Ore Carriers (VLOCs).The concept is not a fully unmanned operation across the entire voyage.

A group of US regional partners have come together to form the Northern Grain Belt Ports Initiative.The Initiative, several years in the making, is an offshoot of the regional Corn Belt Ports Initiative, which works primarily with rural, regional inland ports to promote competitiveness, sustainability, resiliency, and integrity of inland regional port systems.The group consists of the Joint Board of Harbor Commissioners (Port of La Crosse), the City of Prairie du Chien, the Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission (MRRPC)…