Maritime Training News

With the rise in transport by sea of chemicals and gases, in bulk and containerized, adequate preparedness for response to potential spill incidents involving hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) is increasingly important. The Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) is hosting a regional workshop on response to such incidents, in Valletta, Malta (20-21 June). Regional cooperation on oil and HNS spill response and contingency planning is an efficient and cost-effective way of preparing for possible spills – through the sharing of information…

The challenges posed by maritime crime are bringing about discussions on legal issues involving the interpretation and implementation of maritime law. As a result, a workshop has taken place in Sri Lanka, Colombo (18-20 June) where maritime law experts and practitioners from around the world met to participate in two main sessions aimed at gathering State practice and interpretation information related to international legal instruments. The first session looked at Article 17…

How can ports cut emissions to ensure cleaner air and contribute to the battle against climate change? An International Maritime Organization (IMO)  training course is supporting countries to help find the answers, which include the need to first quantify emissions and then identify measures to reduce port-related emissions in a cost-effective way. Maritime officials in Morocco are the latest to undergo the training, at a workshop in Casablanca (19-21 June). The event is being…

On Saturday, June 16, 2018, Webb Institute awarded 21 Bachelor of Science degrees at its 122nd Commencement Ceremony. Each graduating student received a dual degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Webb’s commencement ceremony included inspirational remarks from Webb’s President R. Keith Michel and keynote speaker, Dr. Kirsi K. Tikka, Executive Vice President and Senior Maritime Advisor at American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and former Webb Institute Professor of Structural Engineering. Dr.

The fifth run of the MPA Academy Port Management Programme (PMP), aimed at port masters, harbour masters and middle managers from maritime and port authorities, kicked off today with a record 20 maritime officials from across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Oceania. Developed and organised by MPA Academy, the five-day programme will be delivered by practitioners from the industry as well as senior officers from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). Some of the key subjects that will be covered during the programme include safety, port planning and security.

How to create better shipping for a better future was a theme running throughout the 2018 IMO World Maritime Day Parallel Event (13-15 June), held in Szczecin, Poland. “IMO's heritage for 70 years has been to drive improvements in shipping to achieve a better world today. But we cannot rest on past achievements. Our challenge for the years to come remains the same: to create better shipping - for a better future,” said IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim, in his keynote address. The international audience was welcomed by Mr.

The American Caribbean Maritime Foundation (ACMF) announced it received a contribution of $150,000 from Mr. and Mrs. Roland Malins-Smith. Mr. Malins-Smith, now retired, is founder of SeaFreight Line Ltd. which was acquired by Crowley in 2015.The ACMF funds scholarships and provides grants for classrooms and other facilities at the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU).Malins-Smith, born in Grenada, began his career in 1970 researching shipping and transportation issues for the then Caribbean Free Trade Area (Carifta) Secretariat based in Georgetown Guyana.

The Fohnsdorf Training Center is located in Styria, Austria. To train welders, it uses a virtual welding system – the Virtual Welding simulator from Fronius, the Austrian technology leader. The simulator employs a virtual trainer to provide 1:1 training for the center’s students, an approach that has a positive impact on training quality.A young student carefully guides the welding torch. The weaving motions she makes as she welds the single-V butt weld in front of her appear very composed, an impression that is confirmed by the consistently positive feedback from her trainer.

Natasa Pilides, Cyprus Deputy Minister of Shipping, has held this newly created political post for only three months, but already she has big plans to facilitate the growth of her country’s stature in world maritime circles. In Athens at Posidonia we discuss with her Cyprus’ plan for the development of the its maritime infrastructure and blue economy. Coming in the July 2018 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News, read our interview with Ms.  Build the country’s maritime cluster with incentives for companies to innovate and relocate people and facilities to Cyprus.

International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s globally recognized training centre, the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI), has held its 29th annual graduation ceremony at the Maritime Museum in Vittoriosa, Malta (9 June). Fifty-one students from 41 countries graduated from programs covering all areas of international maritime law in a ceremony presided over by IMO Secretary-General and Chair of the IMLI Governing Board, Kitack Lim, who heralded the Institute and congratulated the graduates on their achievement.

Drills and exercises to test maritime security knowledge and update skills are under way during a national workshop in Montevideo, Uruguay (5 to 8 June). The National Workshop on International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS Code) Drills and Exercises has been designed to strengthen the technical capability of Designated Authority officials, port security officials and managers with respect to enhancing maritime security through the process of conducting drills and exercises in accordance with the ISPS Code and the relevant IMO guidance…

Original research commissioned by Inmarsat suggests that the maritime industry is more amenable to adopting analytic, management and operational tools applied through the Internet of Things (IoT) than many commentators have supposed. The release of ‘Industrial IoT: Maritime’ coincides with Posidonia 2018 and is part of the Inmarsat Research Programme 2018,  which provides a cross-sectoral study on digitalisation in the global supply chain and is due for publication on June 26th.

KVH Videotel has announced a major update to Videotel Performance Manager (VPM) to now include fully integrated online training, making its content available whenever and wherever the seafarer is free.Alongside its Videotel on Demand system, KVH Videotel’s suite of eLearning material can be accessed online on any web-enabled device, with content automatically repurposed for mobile, tablet and web browsing.This flexibility gives ship operators and maritime colleges the ability to provide crew access to KVH Videotel’s material from any location with web access, enabling a higher degree of flexibility, as crew have more opportunities to complete their training schedules wherever they are.Additionally…

The Athina Maritime Learning and Development Center, which has been recently established as the exclusive maritime training organization for Minerva Marine Inc. ship management company based in Athens, has signed an agreement with Kongsberg Digital for the supply of new state-of-art bridge, engine room and cargo handling simulators.A dynamic portfolio of simulator-based courses designed to leverage the realism and pedagogical value of Kongsberg Digital’s simulator technology is under development by the Athina Maritime Learning and Development Center…

In its 36th run, The CadetsPlus program has benefitted close to 3,000 cadets across 15 cities in six countries.A historical training collaboration between the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU), the Thai Seafarers’ Association (TSFA) and various shipping companies in Thailand, upskilled close to 90 Thai cadets who are ready to be deployed onboard Singapore’s shipping fleet having completed a two-week CadetsPlus pre-sea preparatory program developed by Singapore’s Wavelink Maritime Institute (WMI).In conjunction with SMOU’s first Bangkok Nite for its Thai union members…

Namibia has hosted of a series of events addressing oil spill preparedness and response, with two back to back workshops in Swakopmund (22-24 May and 28-31 May) developed with a view to improve the national preparedness and response system in the country. A first workshop was held to provide participants with an overview of the essential skills needed to prepare for and respond to oil spills at an operational level including contingency planning and risk assessment. The second event focused on shoreline response and clean-up management plan during an oil spill incident.

Ask folks unfamiliar with the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) where it’s graduates can be found and they will likely tell you on a cargo ship plying the deep oceans, or in some exotic port on the far side of the globe. And they would be, for the most part correct. However, most don’t realize that no other federal service academy offers the career options of Kings Point. Yes, many graduates become ship’s officers at sea, and some take jobs ashore in the maritime and intermodal transportation field…

A national workshop on the treaty covering dumping of wastes at sea, the London Protocol, is being held in Luanda, Angola (30-31 May). The workshop is raising awareness among stakeholders on the practical aspects of effective implementation of the London Protocol to protect the marine environment from the dumping of harmful wastes at sea. With more light being shed on the dramatic impact of marine litter on coastal areas, this workshop is yet another example of how International Maritime Organization (IMO)  is tackling this problem.

The word has been passed that long tenured and much loved and respected SUNY Maritime Professor James "Jim" McKoy has passed away after a long illness. I am sad to announce the passing of James “Jim” McKoy, Professor of Marine Transportation, after fighting a long battle against a most devastating disease. He crossed over the bar Monday morning. Mate McKoy will be missed by his colleagues and students across the campus and by the thousands of alumni who had him as an instructor during their time at Fort Schuyler.

A new agreement between BAE Systems Australia and Flinders University will see students and industry working together to develop new ways to provide Australia’s defence force with the evolving capability it needs and train the shipbuilding workforce of the future. BAE Systems is one of three companies bidding to build nine Anti-Submarine Warships for the Royal Australian Navy. The company is proposing an Australian variant of the Global Combat Ship currently being manufactured in the UK for the Royal Navy.

International ship management company Zodiac Maritime has extended its satellite communications agreement with Satcom Global, rolling out flagship VSAT service, Satcom Global Aura, across its globally trading fleet of tankers, bulk carriers and container ships. To date, 36 vessels are live on the Aura network enjoying reliable high-speed communications, and upwards of 80 will be installed on Zodiac-managed vessels by the end of the year.Committed to providing seafarers with a superior quality of life aboard its vessels…

Ocean carrier Maersk Line has selected classification society ABS to help identify and evaluate potential hazards posed from dangerous cargoes stowage on containerships.In order to better understand key risks associated with cargo, ABS lead a workshop that assembled industry stakeholders to conduct a Hazard Identification (HAZID) study to identify hazards associated with dangerous goods stowage on a range of containership designs, many which are not fully addressed by the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code.

"The bottom line is that doubling your talent pool just makes sense", said Chris Trelawny,  International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s special Adviser on Maritime Security, as he opened the Women in Maritime Security conference held at IMO Headquarters (24 May). Women are increasingly present at sea, as they defy traditional expectations. Their full and meaningful participation in the economy, political decision-making, and society is key to addressing maritime challenges, but gender equity in the maritime space is too often overlooked.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL)  announced that on Saturday, May 12, in cooperation with The Japanese Shipowners' Association, MOL assigned its woman officers to hold a round-table discussion for about 30 students at Seisho Senior High School in Nara Prefecture. The event was part of the maritime industry's efforts to encourage young people in Japan to consider careers at sea. The presenter, who is on active service as the second officer of an MOL vessel, led a discussion in which she talked about the excitement and the challenges she has faced in her career.

A Statement from the Maritime Administration has announced that RADM James Helis has accepted a senior post at the U.S. Maritime Administration headquarters in Washington. “The Maritime Administration today announced that RADM James Helis has accepted a position at MARAD headquarters in Washington DC where he will serve as a Special Assistant to the Administrator. During his six year assignment as Superintendent, Helis led the response to many  complex issues including, financial and management issues which had threatened USMMA’s accreditation.

Prospective maritime caterers can now be assured of quality training and additional funding, thanks to a new apprenticeship standard developed by the UK’s Maritime Trailblazer group, said UK Chamber of Shipping. The new Maritime Caterer apprenticeship has been designed to train people to organise a kitchen and cook meals across a number of shifts that span the cultural needs of multinational crews. The new standard, which has been approved by the UK’s Institute for Apprenticeships…

Florida Atlantic University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science has been awarded a $1.25 million grant by the United States Office of Naval Research (ONR) to undertake research in support of autonomous unmanned marine vehicle platforms for coastal surveillance, coastal surveys, target tracking and protection of at-sea assets. The five-year project will entail developing unmanned surface vehicles that serve as “motherships” for unmanned underwater vehicles and aerial drones…

Using data collected from underwater drones, merchant ships, fishing boats and even explorers, a new scientific project aims to map the ocean floor by 2030 and solve one of the world’s enduring mysteries.With 190 million square km (73 million square miles) of water - or about 93 percent of the world's oceans with a depth of over 200 meters (650 feet) - yet to be charted, the initiative is ambitious.Satinder Bindra, director of the Seabed 2030 project, said the work can be completed within the period and will shed light on everything from tsunami wave patterns to pollution…

For ports to cut emissions to ensure cleaner air and contribute to the battle against climate change, they first need to quantify emissions and then identify measures to reduce port-related emissions in a cost-effective way. The on-going strategic partnership between the International Maritime Organization (IMO) -run GloMEEP project on energy-efficiency and the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is helping selected countries to develop port emission inventories and subsequently draw up a port emission reduction strategy.

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform has participated in the 2018 Vicino/Lontano Festival, which was held from 10 May to 13 May in Udine, Italy. The Vicino/Lontano Festival has, since its very beginning, been closely linked to the figure of journalist and writer Tiziano Terzani, to whose memory the Festival’s annual literary prize is dedicated. It encompasses a broad range of initiatives and events, including debates, discussion forums, seminars, lectures, exhibitions, performances and screenings.

India is the latest country to benefit from International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s new three-day training package on assessing air emissions in ports and strategies to address emissions from various sources. Thirty-five Indian maritime officials from maritime administrations, port authorities, port terminals and academia are taking part in the workshop in Mumbai (15-17). The training package was developed under IMO's GloMEEP energy-efficiency project, in collaboration with the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH).

Under the theme IMO 70: Our Heritage – Better Shipping for a Better Future, two panels of experts led stimulating debates at a forum held at IMO Headquarters (15 May). Moderated by shipping journalist Richard Clayton, the forum discussed IMO's role in the future of shipping and international trade, with hundreds tuning in worldwide via online participation and hundreds of people submitting their questions to the panel, from Colombia to Indonesia. Fascinating insights were shared by the panel…

The National Maritime Transport Policy concept is being promoted by International Maritime Organization (IMO)  as a good governance practice to guide planning, decision making and legislation in the maritime sector. It can also be a key driver for a country's sustainable development, particularly when it comes to the “blue economy”. Officials in Kenya are participating in a workshop in Kilifi, Kenya (9-11 May), to gain knowledge and understanding of the development and content of a National Maritime Transport Policy.

The maritime industry, like any other, faces its share of challenges.When it comes to training, maritime stakeholders say their largest challenge is a lack of financial resources, according to the Maritime Training Insights Database (MarTID) 2018 Training Practices Report.Other top challenges include a shortage of competent and dedicated training personnel as well as the procurement and availability of specific training courses.Looking forward, the industry has its eye on other top training challenges.

Damen’s Head of Communications, Sylvia Boer, has recently been appointed President of the Netherlands chapter of WISTA – the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association. WISTA the Netherlands was founded in 2000 and currently has 140 members from across the maritime industry. WISTA the Netherlands focuses on a number of priority topics affecting the industry. Amongst these are sustainability, new technologies, big data, health & safety, cyber security, block chain, developing cultural sensitivity and last, but by no means least, clean oceans.

When it comes to training bridge officers, simulator training is the standard, with over 86 percent of companies using simulators for this purpose, according to the Maritime Training Insights Database (MarTID) 2018 Training Practices Report.The MarTID report found that a smaller proportion, around 60 percent total, use simulators for training engineering officers.Investment into simulation training will only increase in years to come. Of the companies that currently make use of simulation training…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines announced that the establishment of MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy  in Salitran, Dasmariñas City, the Philippines — a joint project with Magsaysay Maritime Corporation (MMC) — has acquired official approval from the Philippine government's Commission on Higher Education (CHED), clearing the way for the academy to open in August. MOL has offered training programs in Philippines with the goal of developing crewmembers who will uphold strict safety standards in vessel operation…

Since mid 2015 when MCA first approved a Thailand based seafarer training facility, that destination has experienced growth as a popular focus for both advanced seafarers and also entry level crew to complete STCW 2010 and the new updating STCW courses.Anthony Gould, CEO and major investor in Galileo Maritime Academy, said at the recent launch of their Survival Craft and Fast Rescue Boats training facility in Phuket, “Over the last three years international professional seafarers coming to Phuket…

More maritime operators increased their training budgets from 2016 to 2017 than decreased them, according to the Maritime Training Insights Database (MarTID) 2018 Training Practices Report.When compared to 2016, around 40 percent of survey respondents indicated that their training budget had increased in 2017, while just 14 percent reported their training budgets had decreased. The median budget increase was between 10-25 percent.These increases are expected to be even larger and more common this year.

More than 400 SUNY Maritime College students and others this summer will spend three days assisting ongoing hurricane recovery efforts in San Juan, Puerto Rico, during the college’s annual summer sea term onboard Training Ship Empire State VI. The ship will leave the college campus, bound for San Juan, on May 7.The voyage to Puerto Rico is the first stop on the college’s annual summer sea term, which gives students the hands-on education and training they need to sail onboard commercial vessels after graduation.

Two floating docks have completed their 26-day voyage across the North Atlantic to Damen Shiprepair Curaçao (DSCu) in the southern Caribbean.The larger of the two is a Panamax-class dock measuring 230 meters by 45 meters for tankers, containerships and other large vessels, while the smaller dock measures 108 meters by 23 meters for all kinds of tugs, workboats and offshore support and anchor handling vessels.The two docks were delivered by the heavy-lift carrier Xin Guang Hua to the Port of Willemstad, Curaçao on April 26, following a trip with more than its share of bad weather.

The technology group Wärtsilä announces that its acquisition of Transas, a global company headquartered in the U.K., has now been finalized. Control of the company will be transferred to Wärtsilä effective from 4 May, 2018. The acquisition, which was announced in March 2018, has a transaction value of MEUR 210 (enterprise value). Transas is a global market leader in marine navigation solutions that include complete bridge systems, digital products and electronic charts. It is also a leader in professional training and simulation services, as well as ship traffic control systems.

International Maritime Organization (IMO) maritime security training is underway for Libyan port facility security officers, managers and designated authority officials (30 April – 4 May). The workshop, delivered entirely in Arabic, aims to assist the Libyan Government in enhanced security risk assessments and controls on maritime transport through its territory. It is the first IMO maritime security workshop for Libya since the country's civil war. Twenty officers in charge of port security from ports across the country are attending…

The inaugural edition of the MarTID Maritime Training Insights Database (MarTID) Report sheds new light on maritime safety and training practices, what works, and what doesn’t. More importantly, its analysis and data emanates from you. The first annual Maritime Training Insights Database (MarTID) Report initiative has been two years in the making. This initiative was developed with the intent of being a shared commitment to safe, efficient and sustainable operations in the maritime industry.

The first in a series of regional maritime security courses, funded by the Government of Japan, has been held at the Djibouti Regional Training Centre (DRTC). During a five-day workshop (22-26 April 2018), officials from 10 countries (Comoros, Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa and United Republic of Tanzania)  were able to learn about and share ideas on best practices for maritime domain awareness, including measures to promote coordination and sharing of information at national level as the basis for effective regional cooperation.

For the first time, a national workshop on IMO's International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS Code) was delivered in Arabic during a five-day training course held in Doha, Qatar (22-26 April). Designated authority and port facility security officers had the chance to improve their knowledge and understanding through practical exercises as well as class-based training in how to implement the relevant provisions of the ISPS Code, SOLAS Chapter XI-2 and related guidance. The participants will now be equipped with the necessary skills to train others with similar responsibilities.

Wärtsilä is partnering with the cyber security company Templar Executives to establish a cyber academy in Singapore. The academy will offer courses designed to support and enhance the collective cyber maturity of the wider shipping community, notably operators and owners.“We believe this is a first for the maritime industry; a center of excellence including a cyber academy, combining threat intelligence and cyber education designed to support collaboration for our customers and the wider maritime community…

Wärtsilä has partnered with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to promote maritime innovation and R&D. The partnership covers four different streams: digital acceleration, cyber-physical security, intelligent vessel and port operations. Wärtsilä and MPA have also agreed to support and leverage start-ups and small and medium enterprises in Singapore in these four streams.“This partnership with MPA is a great example of how combining digitalization ecosystems thinking, and collaboration will benefit the maritime industry and drive tangible value at pace.

Mexico has hosted a five-day workshop on International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code), which sets out preventive security measures in case of threats to ships and port facilities. Designated authority and port facility security officers had the chance to improve their knowledge and understanding through practical exercises as well as class-based training in how to implement the relevant provisions of the ISPS Code, SOLAS Chapter XI-2 and related guidance.

Iranian officials responsible for implementing IMO standards on air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from shipping are undergoing IMO training at a national workshop in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran (18 April). Around 30 participants from the country’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), Department of Environment and numerous ports are taking part. They are being trained on the IMO treaty restricting air pollution from ships as well as ship energy-efficiency measures – MARPOL Annex VI.

A team of Italian specialist Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) divers carried out mine-countermeasures training on Friday, April 13, to prepare for potential threats that may affect international shipping and delay essential sea cargoes.As part of the training, the EOD divers from Italian Navy Frigate ITS Margottini put a floating ‘dummy’ mine into the sea and then carried out a controlled explosion.ITS Margottini is currently deployed on counter-piracy operations as part of EU NAVFOR’s Op Atalanta.

With a range of dignitaries in attendance, Simwave will officially open its 5,000-square-meter maritime training center in Barendrecht on April 19. The three hundred guests will take a look behind the scenes at the new location, which houses more than 50 simulators. The center has already been in use for some time now. The 'site acceptance test' was successfully completed on January 29th, in collaboration with the supplier of the simulators, the Norwegian company Kongsberg Digital.

Huntington Ingalls Industries announced that Australia’s Department of Defence has awarded a contract to Naval Shipbuilding Institute (NSI), a joint venture between HII’s Technical Solutions division and Kellogg Brown and Root’s (KBR) Government Services division, to establish and manage Australia’s new Naval Shipbuilding College. This effort is in support of Australia’s mission to recapitalize its shipbuilding and maritime sustainment industry over the next several decades. In announcing the request for proposals in 2017…

Even before the implementation of Subchapter M requirements, Vancouver, Washington-based Tidewater Transportation & Terminals had developed a strong culture of workplace safety. Within its overall plan is using and regularly testing Emerald Marine Products' ALERT Man-Overboard System. The ALERT system consists of a water-activated transmitter worn on a lifejacket and a receiver installed in a wheelhouse. If the wearer falls into the water, it instantly activates a piercing alarm and flashing light, alerting the boat captain to the man overboard (MOB).

Ports provide the critical interface between the ship and the shore. For maritime trade to flow effectively, this vital infrastructure needs to be secure – and this involves people at all levels. A national maritime security training workshop in Djibouti (19-23 March) included practical exercises and a site visit to a nearby port facility as well as class-based training in how to implement the relevant provisions of International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s code on International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS Code) and SOLAS Chapter XI-2 and related guidance.

MMA's RADM McDonald joyfully announces that the long-awaited National Security Multi-mission Vessel (NSMV) Program now has legs. On Friday 23 March 2018, President Donald Trump signed the FY18 Omnibus spending bill into law. I am very pleased to report that contained in this budget is $300M to begin the long-sought State Maritime Academy Training Ship Replacement Program. Known as the National Security Multi-mission Vessel (NSMV), this new-build replacement training ship program…

China's navy will carry out combat drills in the South China Sea, the military's official newspaper said on Friday, describing the move as part of regular annual exercises. Taiwan's defence ministry said this week it had shadowed a Chinese aircraft carrier group traversing the Taiwan Strait in a southwesterly direction - meaning into the disputed South China Sea - in what Taiwan judged to be a drill. In a brief report on its WeChat account, the People's Liberation Army Daily said the combat exercises would take place shortly…

The heads of the U.S. and Indian navies met at the Pentagon this week to discuss ways to ways to integrate and improve interoperability. On March 21, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson hosted Indian Navy chief Adm. Sunil Lanba at the Pentagon, where the two met with Secretary of Navy Richard V. Spencer to discuss ways to improve interoperability to include additional naval exercises and staff talks. “The relationship between the U.S. Navy and the Indian Navy has never been stronger,” said Richardson.

When talk turns to ‘Maritime Simulation’ visions of high-tech bridge simulators with seamless graphics and interwoven component simulators – engine room, DP systems, cargo loading – come to mind. But modern simulation is so much more, a wholistic visual, audio, tactile and cereberal experience that prepares mariners to deal with a bevy of real-world situations. Modern maritime simulation has evolved rapidly, driven by exponential leaps in computer and graphic display power, a…

A four-day workshop on how to best design and conduct drills and maritime security exercises, has been held in Kingston, Jamaica (13-16 March), said a press release from International Maritime Organization (IMO). The aim of the event was to equip participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to plan, conduct and assess security drills and exercises in their port facilities. The workshop also included live role-playing sessions with various communication equipment. This helps port facility security officers…

The Latin America Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre, part of a global network established under an ambitious International Maritime Organization (IMO)-European Union (EU)  project to further efforts to combat climate change, has been launched in Panama (13 March). The centre, hosted by the Universidad Marítima Internacional de Panamá (UMIP), is one of five such centres established under the GMN project, which is funded by the EU and run by IMO. The centres, in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific regions, act as regional focal points for a wide range of activities.

A pair of U.S. Navy submarines recently surfaced in the Arctic Circle as part of multinational maritime exercise north of Alaska. Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Hartford (SSN 768) and Seawolf-class fast attack submarine, USS Connecticut (SSN 22) surfaced in the Arctic Circle March 10 during the multinational maritime Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2018. Both submarines, as well the UK Royal Navy submarine HMS Trenchant (S91), are participating in the biennial exercise in the Arctic to train and validate the warfighting capabilities of submarines in extreme cold-water conditions.

You know if Elon Musk was to attend a plenary session of the IMO, he could be forgiven if he thought he was watching a reenactment of the Charles Dickens book Hard Times, with Mr. Gradgrind the Headmaster. What a sad reflection of our industry. Imagine instead! Imagine a world where logistics companies and cargo owners drive ship design, innovation and demand the level of quality in ship management. Where maritime assets are operated in a global ecosystem of tracking, monitoring and safety. Imagine a world where ships are operated in a “ship as a service” or “system of systems” infrastructure.

Kongsberg Digital has signed the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) as a pilot-customer for the cloud-based application of the sophisticated K-Sim simulation technology. BCIT will be among the first to offer simulation as a service by integrating K-Sim with the new Kognifai digital platform, to enable its students to train anytime and anywhere. Initially, Kongsberg Digital will focus on enabling students at BCIT’s School of Energy to use the K-Sim Engine Thermal Power Plant (TPP) simulator for industrial/utilities engineers, by giving them access to the simulator on their own devices. However, the train anytime and anywhere strategy is already set to improve and extend the use of simulation in power engineering training.

MV WERFTEN, the shipyard group is constructing a special accommodation center for subcontractors and guests at the Alter Holzhafen in Wismar; visitors will be able to spend the night in cruise ship cabins. The new building, which comprises 104 rooms, is scheduled to open by winter 2018-2019. Wismar, March 6, 2018 | Today, MV WERFTEN celebrated the official start of construction on its very own accommodation facility – the MVW Alter Holzhafen Beherbergungsstätte – with a groundbreaking ceremony.

SevenCs has just released a brand new software tool called TMS ChartServer which is running on a high performance “Tile Map Service” technology. It allows users of maritime web and mobile applications – e.g. Fleet Monitoring, Vessel Tracking, and Surveying – to display maritime charts at top speed: no matter if full global chart coverage is needed or just a smaller area of interest. SevenCs GmbH is located in Hamburg, and for decades has been “the Expert” in developing maritime software applications.

India's INSV Tarini entered Cape Town (South Africa) today during it’s maiden voyage to circumnavigate the globe. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew. The vessel is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, and the crew comprises Lieutenant Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, B Aishwarya and Payal Gupta. Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman, defence minister had flagged-off INSV Tarini from Goa on 10 September 17.

The first Wärtsilä SparkUp Challenge, an initiative to find innovative start-ups to develop ideas for the smart shipping value chain, has been won by KNL Networks and Portcall.com. The prize for the winners is a four-month collaboration and co-creation in the Wärtsilä Digital Acceleration Centre (DAC) beginning in March. In addition, they will receive a capital grant of 50,000 euros. “We are extremely delighted and proud to announce these winners. This is an amazing opportunity for both us and the winners.

OSM Maritime Group says it is aiming to make the shipping industry accessible to all as part of its involvement in the UN Global Compact (UNGC) initiative. The ship management company,has signed a MOU to re-launch the Mozambican Higher School of Nautical Sciences. It is also actively working to increase the number of females in its global pool of 11,000 qualified seafarers. OSM is one of the first companies in the ship management segment to join the UNGC. The Norwegian-headquartered business has now submitted an initial report detailing its desire to set new industry standards…

Scott Thayer has joined BUG-O Products as Director of Sales and Marketing on February 26, 2018.   Scott brings with him nearly 30 years of experience in the welding industry and has a strong knowledge of BUG-O products. In addition to his sales experience, he is a Certified Welding Inspector as well as a Certified Welding Educator.

U.S. Navy’s Sealift Body Accepting OSVDPA DPO Certificates. The Offshore Service Vessel Dynamic Positioning Authority, Inc. (OSVDPA) announced the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC) is accepting OSVDPA DPO Certificates for mariners seeking employment by MSC. Dynamically positioned vessels are a growing part of MSC’s fleet and operations and are being utilized at a higher rate in recent years in an effort to conduct operations, often times dive and salvage operations, in a safer and more efficient manner.

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, and an international maritime business platform, SeaFocus, have announced a collaboration agreement that will support the companies in creating new cooperation models to benefit maritime trade and drive industry innovation. "We are known for our innovative products and services," says Henri Paukku, Director, Cooperation and Funding, MacGregor. "We can see here the potential in the industry and an important partner for creating new ways of thinking and sharing best practises and to collaborate with universities and their students.

MMA Launches Third Graduate Degree, M.S. Maritime Business Management. The Massachusetts Maritime Academy has announced the launch of their third Graduate Degree, the Master of Science in Maritime Business Management. MMA developed the MSMB over a four-year period as a campus-wide collaborative effort with the Academic Dean, the Dean of Graduate & Continuing Education, the undergraduate International Maritime Business Department faculty and input gathered from employers, prospective students, the Graduate Education Council, and MMA graduate and undergraduate alumni.

The 1914-built three-masted steel bark Statsraad Lehmkuhl is the oldest of the large square riggers still in operation today. The century-old tall ship, which is currently in use as a Norwegian sail-training ship, will be able to cruise out of Bergen harbor next year without any greenhouse gas emissions, thanks to a hybrid power system from Rolls-Royce. Norway’s state-owned company Enova, which works to facilitate the country’s transition to a low-emissions society, is providing just over NOK 4.2 million for an innovative project to equip the historic tall ship with shipboard battery power.

Students from the International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) in Malta are being introduced to key policy planning issues as part of International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s on-going work to support the future leaders of the maritime world (15-16 February). The event focused on the National Maritime Transport Policy (NMTP) formulation, which is being promoted by IMO as a good governance practice to guide planning, decision making and legislation in the maritime sector, and a key driver for a country's sustainable development.

For nearly 20 years, leaders of the tug and barge industry in the region have converged on SUNY Maritime College in the spring to discuss current issues and initiatives facing the industry. This year will be no different; the 18th annual Towing Industry Forum will include presentations about safety management systems, wind farms and their impact on marine traffic, and a federal study regarding route planning and access to East Coast ports, among other topics. The forum, organized by the college’s Department of Professional Education and Training, will be from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and the National Institute of Technology (KOSEN) agreed to collaborate in the fields of education and public relations for the purpose of human resources development in the maritime industry and the promotion of maritime affairs awareness. NYK has a number of programs to educate the next generation of seafarers, and one of those programs facilitates international student-exchanges between students at KOSEN maritime schools and the NYK-TDG Maritime Academy, which NYK operates in the Philippines.

The SENER engineering and technology group organized two technical seminars on the FORAN System between January 29 and February 1 at the Croatian universities of Split and Rijeka. The objective of these technical sessions, which are part of the agreement signed by SENER with both universities to extend the use of its FORAN marine design and production system, is to exchange knowledge between different industry agents as well as providing students with training. The four sessions…

Kongsberg Digital has launched a new 3D virtual application for its state-of-the-art K-Sim Cargo simulator. The system generates high-fidelity visualization for operational training on important areas of the cargo deck, enabling training centers equipped with K-Sim Cargo to deliver even more value to their customers while meeting the industry need to secure the safety and efficiency of cargo transfer operations. The new 3D virtual solution is a direct response to customer requests…

January 31, 2018 is the deadline for the first global survey for the Maritime Training Insights Database (MarTID), giving the industry one last chance to take 20 minutes and become a part of this historic initiative. The partnership was started more than a year ago, a partnership solidified in the summer of 2017 in the office of Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, President, World Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden, with the signing of an MoU with the World Maritime University, Marine Learning Systems and New Wave Media, publishers of Maritime Reporter & E‪ngineering News and MarineLink.com.

Simwave B.V. and Kongsberg Digital have completed the Site Acceptance Test (SAT) of one of the largest, most advanced maritime simulation suites ever delivered. The SAT, which took place January 19, means that the new Simwave Maritime Center of Excellence in Barendrecht, Rotterdam is now fully operational. As the sole simulation technology partner in the development of the unique Simwave facility, Kongsberg Digital delivered the full scope of work in accordance with the contract awarded in April 2017, which represented one of its most extensive deliveries to date.

With their main role of conducting amphibious operations, San Antonio-class ships have unique capabilities that make them an ideal partner to support NASA's mission. One of the more important capabilities is the ship's ability to recover the test capsule using the ship's well deck, which was designed to launch and recover amphibious craft. Anchorage also has the ability to carry and deploy multiple small boats to aid in the recovery process of the capsule and contains an advanced medical facility ideal for treating the returning astronauts.

The built-for-purpose National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) training ship comes to life. Anybody who has spent four years at a State Maritime Academy (SMA) has also spent time at sea on a Marad-owned training vessel. Today, these platforms are long in the tooth, equipped with outdated equipment and not necessarily conducive to the task of training cadets for a future career at sea. For a long time, though, they’ve gotten the job done. It is also true that some of these hulls are one equipment casualty away from the bone yard…

January 31, 2018, the deadline for the first global survey for the Maritime Training Insights Database (MarTID), is quickly approaching. The mission of MarTID is to help ensure safe, efficient and sustainable maritime operations on clean oceans. It will do so by providing the maritime industry with objective and comprehensive data on how it manages and conducts training for shipboard competencies and the effects of drivers, such as technology, on this training. So far, the MarTID team has received good input and we thank those of you in the maritime community who have already taken the survey.

Never easy, but always a critically important task. It is critically important that we assess the ability of our mariners to perform the skills required to safely and efficiently do their jobs. It happens to also be very difficult to do so objectively and at the level of detail necessary to ensure safe operations and continuous improvement. This is especially true in dynamic, team-based scenarios such as drills and complicated safety-critical activities. This article covers a novel initiative by one of the world’s largest cruise lines and its partners to provide a solution to this problem.

The Liberia Maritime Training Institute (LMTI) was officially opened by Liberia President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf during an inauguration ceremony in Marshall City, Liberia, on January 5. The facility is named after John G Bestman, former Liberian finance minister and a member of the board of governors of the Central Bank of Liberia. Under the management of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), LMTI has undergone a massive renovation and facility modernization program over the past two years, resulting in the creation of a new campus and state-of-the-art facilities.

In a coming edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News, we explore modern training and “blended learning” techniques with Murray Goldberg, CEO of Marine Learning Systems, maker of MarineLMS. A researcher and developer of learning management systems, Goldberg’s software has been used by millions of people and companies worldwide. Here Goldberg explains the scope and important of a historic new annual survey, The Maritime Training and Insights Database (MarTID) (www.martid.org/survey).

Setting out to increase fairness, equality and inclusion within the maritime sector, Maritime UK has established a Women in Maritime Taskforce, a move welcomed by the U.K.’s new Maritime Minister, Nusrat Ghani MP. “I am delighted to see Maritime UK taking action to attract more women into our maritime industries, and I welcome this taskforce as an important first step,” said Ghani, who is only the second woman to hold the Department for Transport portfolio for the U.K.’s £40 billion maritime sector.

Kongsberg Digital has received DNV-GL statements of compliance for two of its newest Engine Room Simulator models designed to provide in-depth training on the K-Sim Engine simulator platform. The DNV GL-ST-033 March 2017 Maritime Simulator Systems certification, which is based on the requirements of STCW Convention, Regulation I/12, was awarded to the DEDF Cruise Ferry and L11 MAN 6S70 ME SCC K-Sim Engine models in December 2017. Now commercially available to all K-Sim Engine users…

A powerful virtual-reality ship simulation system, operated by the Port of Milford Haven is running courses to train tug boat operators from across Britain. The Navigation Suite, based at Milford Waterfront, creates highly realistic computer-generated versions of any port in the world, giving trainees the opportunity to take the controls of any vessel, including tugboats, to practice scenarios. Tug skippers from Williams Marine Services and Teignmouth Harbor Commission spent two days undertaking theory based safety training and working on simulated ‘as real’ scenarios within the port.

Hong Kong is chosen to host the Global Maritime Forum’s inaugural Annual Summit on 3-4 October 2018. The high-level meeting will convene key industry leaders with policymakers, experts, NGOs and other influential decision-makers and opinion shapers. Their task will be to share their ideas on the challenges facing the maritime industry and to develop practical proposals to optimise global seaborne trade, thereby increasing sustainable long term economic development and human wellbeing. “We look forward to welcoming the world’s maritime decision-makers to Hong Kong.

It is not business as usual in the world where we do business. Things are changing. Even regulations themselves are changing from less prescriptive in nature to more performance-based. As Chairman, President and CEO of a global classification and technology-centric company that operates in 70 countries with 5,000 employees, I am continually assessing the impact of these changes on the capabilities ABS needs to fulfill its mission and maintain its leadership position in the maritime, offshore and government industries it serves. To know where we are heading, we have to know where we began.

NYK and NYK Group companies MTI Co. and Japan Marine Science released partial findings of a study on collision risk judgement and the autonomous operation of vessels. Representatives from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), and three partner manufacturers (Tokyo Keiki, Japan Radio, and Furuno Electric) were in attendance when the findings were released. This entire study includes development of (a) functions to facilitate judgement related to avoiding risk of collision with other vessels…

Nearly 200 delegates from across the world gathered in Den Haag, The Netherlands in September 2017 to hear about the latest developments in maritime training based on state-of-the-art simulation technology. The three-day Kongsberg UC2017 International Maritime Simulation User Conference brought attendees up to date on developments in digitalization, maritime training, navigation technology, maritime operations simulation and the use of virtual reality in training. Tom Mulligan reports.

Most of Earth’s volcanoes are in the oceans, yet scientists know very little about them compared to volcanoes on land. Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor recently completed a 41-day expedition near Tonga, using cutting-edge technology to map, view, and sample underwater volcanoes while sharing observations with the public using real-time video streaming and chat programs. Findings include detecting widespread evidence of deep sea explosive volcanism, observing one of the rarest volcanic rock types on Earth…

Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside announced the decision of the Executive Management of the Agency to offer automatic employment to twenty (20) beneficiaries of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) Cadets that passed out with distinctions in their various fields of study. The Director General who made this known during the flag-off ceremony of the first phase of the NIMASA fully sponsored sea time training for cadets expressed delight that hope beckons for the Nigeria maritime sector through this feat.

Cinthya Lopes has joined Simwave, the maritime simulation center in Rotterdam, as simulator operator. Prior to joining Simwave she worked in a variety of roles in the field of maritime training at the Brazilian Navy and Kongsberg. After finishing her studies in her home country of Brazil at the Merchant Marine Academy, Lopes completed her Post Graduate Program in Conference Interpretation at PUC Rio. Lopes started her career as a Navigation Officer at Norsul Shipping Company.

The Pacific region has celebrated the launch of a centre of excellence for low-carbon shipping technology, which joins centres in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America as part of a global network run by International Maritime Organization (IMO) and funded by the European Union. Through this network – the Global Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre Network (GMN) – these centres will develop and promote low-carbon maritime transport systems, supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The sinking of the U.S. freighter El Faro in 2015 with the loss of 33 lives came after an overconfident captain set the ship and its poorly trained crew on a collision course with a hurricane, the National Transportation Safety Board said in its final report on Tuesday. It was the worst U.S. maritime disaster in 30 years. National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt said at the end of a day-long hearing that tracking the loss of the ill-fated ship on Oct. 1, 2015, was like watching a brewing storm.

Four U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) cadets were awarded with 2017 Thomas B. Crowley Memorial Scholarships during yesterday’s Containerization and Intermodal Institute’s Connie Awards luncheon in Newark, N.J. Jenny Terpenning, supervisor, marine recruiting at Crowley Maritime Corporation, presented the scholarships to Midshipmen (MIDN) Joshua Cann, Vincent Policastro, Rebecca Snyder and Benjamin Starr while also formally recognizing 2016 recipient Chandler Chiappe, all of whom were chosen based on their academic performance…

The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre and the Indian Coast Guard have commenced the 2017 Capacity Building Workshop in New Delhi, India. Themed “Striding Over Domestic Challenges,” this year’s workshop draws ReCAAP Focal Points from maritime enforcement and government agencies across Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the United States.

The IMO Assembly met for its 30th session at  International Maritime Organization (IMO) Headquarters in London, United Kingdom (27 November to 6 December). The Assembly was the largest-ever gathering at IMO Headquarters in London, attended by some 1,400 participants, including 56 at the ministerial level, from 165 Member States, as well as observers from inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations. The Assembly adopted its strategic plan for 2018-2023, including a revised mission statement…

Eco-Business, Asia Pacific’s leading media organisation dedicated to reporting on sustainable development, has unveiled a new membership programme for its growing community. The EB Circle is a new dedicated network in which readers who sign up for just S$60 a year will gain priority invites to its events, access to an inner circle of professionals committed to sustainability on the Slack platform, media training opportunities and more. Since Eco-Business was founded in 2009, it has been committed to providing a platform for the region to discuss sustainability issues…