Category: Views
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Op-Ed: Can thrusters be designed for purpose and value?
Op-Ed: Can thrusters be designed for purpose and value? by Juho Rekola, director, sales & project management, Steerprop. Thrusters tailored for your vessel need not cost more than cookie-cutter solutions and will inevitably reduce total lifecycle costs. In many industries, standardization has become a byword for efficiency. Containerization is the classic example in shipping, with…
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Op-Ed: Nutrition at sea with AI-powered onboard farming
Op-Ed: Nutrition at sea with AI-powered onboard farming By Oren Saar, CEO of Agwa The maritime industry is investing heavily in digitalization, decarbonization, and operational efficiency – and rightly so. But there’s a quieter, yet well-known issue playing out across thousands of vessels: limited access to fresh, nutritious food, and the toll this takes on…
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Op-Ed: Navigating opportunities in the 2025 insurance market
Op-Ed: Navigating opportunities in the 2025 insurance market By Simon de Burgh Codrington, Managing Director, Risk Strategies The marine insurance industry continues to navigate uncertain waters in 2025. Prices in the global marine cargo market are starting to ease. Importers and exporters now have more room to negotiate. Still, cargo theft is a growing problem,…
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Op-Ed: Do not overlook BWM Convention compliance
Op-Ed: Do not overlook BWM Convention compliance By Tommi Vihavainen, Product Owner – Logbook, Safety Solutions, NAPA As we watch for the outcomes of the 83rd meeting of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 83), ballast water management may not be the hottest topic in shipping, but it remains a vital…
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Q&A: Decarbonization 2.0 with Svitzer
Q&A: Decarbonization 2.0 with Svitzer Marine Log recently spoke with Gareth Prowse, head of decarbonization at Denmark-based Svitzer, on Svitzer’s strategies and technologies for enhancing efficiency and sustainability in port operations. Marine Log (ML): Svitzer operates in over 180 ports globally, each with its own regional regulations and market conditions. How does Svitzer adapt its…
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Op-Ed: Change and opportunity in U.S. shipbuilding’s new era
Op-Ed: Change and opportunity in U.S. shipbuilding’s new era For organizations looking to work with U.S. shipbuilding, understanding the requirements will be crucial to success, writes Darren Guillory, SSI ShipConstructor Will the next decade be a golden age for American shipyards? From the clouded perspective of 2025 it is hard to discern whether plans for…
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Op-Ed: Offshore maritime insurance amid climate change
Op-Ed: Offshore maritime insurance amid climate change By Robert Mackay, Business Development Lead, FDR The maritime industry is facing escalating climate-related challenges. The rising frequency and severity of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and typhoons, profoundly affect offshore construction projects. However, with all the warnings in place, there is a feeling that, despite all…
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Op-Ed: Service vessels at the heart of marine electrification
Op-Ed: Service vessels at the heart of marine electrification By James Edwards, Chief Engineer – Marine, Helix Decarbonization is at the top of the agenda across the marine value chain. Suppliers and operators are investing record amounts to allow the industry to meet commitments such as the IMO’s pledge for net zero shipping emissions by…
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Op-Ed: Thinking of privatizing NOAA? Think again
Op-Ed: Thinking of privatizing NOAA? Think again By Dr. Roberta Weisbrod, Executive Director of the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), encompassing the National Weather Service, the National Ocean Service, fisheries, and weather satellites, provides critically important information to shipping businesses, the military, and ordinary citizens. NOAA is the world…
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Op-Ed: Breaking barriers on the evolving role of women at sea
Op-Ed: Breaking barriers on the evolving role of women at sea By Julia Anastasiou, Crew Management Officer, OSM Thome NOTE: Saturday, March 8, is International Women’s Day. Thirty years ago, when I began my career in the maritime industry, women at sea were a rarity. The challenges were formidable—lack of representation, limited career pathways, and…
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Op-Ed: Steel and aluminum tariffs
Op-Ed: Steel and aluminum tariffs What is old, what is new, and what recent actions mean for industry By Jonathan R. Todd, Benesch Law United States President Donald Trump is no stranger to steel and aluminum tariffs. Trade actions targeting those commodities were a large part of his First Term agenda when he launched those Section…
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Op-Ed: How the SHIPS for America Act can restore U.S. maritime leadership
Op-Ed: How the SHIPS for America Act can restore U.S. maritime leadership By Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) Flanked by two oceans, the United States has always been a maritime nation. Our dominance over the oceans was a key factor in establishing the U.S. as the most powerful nation on Earth. My family has lived this. Both…
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Op-Ed: Digitalization for better asset performance management
Op-Ed: Digitalization for better asset performance management By Ilari Leinonen, Product Owner, Elomatic The maritime industry is currently navigating a period of transformation, which is driven by increasingly stringent regulatory frameworks and an industry-wide push towards decarbonization. With these factors in mind, ship owners and operators are under more scrutiny than ever before. Heightened stakeholder…
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Op-Ed: Is decarbonization driving unintended consequences?
Op-Ed: Is decarbonization driving unintended consequences? By Peter Soles, Principal, Business Development at Glosten In recent years, the messaging around alternative fuels and zero emission vessels in marine industry magazines, online forums, news websites, and social media has been a steady stream, bordering on a wide-open fire hydrant. As a result, many in the U.S.…
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Op-Ed: Complying with Coast Guard’s final rule on cybersecurity
Op-Ed: Complying with Coast Guard’s final rule on cybersecurity By Jim Kearns and Andy Lee, Jones Walker LLP On January 17, the U.S. Coast Guard released a final rule on cybersecurity in the U.S. marine transportation system. The rule establishes cybersecurity requirements for U.S.-flag vessels, facilities, and Outer Continental Shelf facilities that are regulated under…
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Op-Ed: Rethinking cargo handling systems
Op-Ed: Rethinking cargo handling systems By Taisuke Inui, CEO, MarFlex Driven by regulatory pressure and the pursuit of more efficient, sustainable operations, the maritime industry is rapidly evolving. From alternative fuels to vessel propulsion, technological advancements are reshaping nearly every aspect of shipping. Yet one crucial area remains largely overlooked when it comes to the…
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Op-Ed: Building green towing capacity
Op-Ed: Building green towing capacity By Gareth Prowse, head of decarbonisation, Svitzer The maritime industry is progressing in its journey toward decarbonization, driven by tightening environmental regulations and rising expectations for sustainable practices. This shift, extending to the port and towage sectors, presents both challenges and opportunities, and Gareth Prowse, head of decarbonization at Svitzer—a…
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Op-Ed: Urgent reality of regulations to set in for the shipping industry
Op-Ed: Urgent reality of regulations to set in for the shipping industry By Steve Esau, COO of SEA-LNG In 2025, the urgent reality of regulations will set in for the shipping industry. With the arrival of the new year, we begin the five-year countdown to IMO’s first notable deadline – reducing greenhouse gas emissions by a…
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Op-Ed: The degradation and recovery of U.S. shipbuilding
Op-Ed: The degradation and recovery of U.S. shipbuilding by Ted Williams, president of Senesco Marine LLC Global maritime supremacy has been a cornerstone of our national security for decades. However, today, we have not only lost this supremacy, we are not even close to being able to regain it if needed. We are a nation…
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Op-Ed: Embracing innovation in mooring and fender technologies
Op-Ed: Embracing innovation in mooring and fender technologies As the world becomes more interconnected, ports must evolve to handle the increasing pressures of larger vessels, rising trade volumes, and stricter environmental standards. Richard Hepworth, president of Trelleborg Marine and Infrastructure, explains how innovative mooring and fender systems will be central to reshaping how ports operate.…
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A historic moment for ferry transport in Africa
A historic moment for ferry transport in Africa By Roberta Weisbrod, Executive Director at Worldwide Ferry Safety Association Last month in Marrakech, a city in Morocco, something extraordinary unfolded. Interferry’s 48th annual conference marked a significant milestone as it was the first event of its kind held on the African continent. The conference focused on…
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Op-Ed: A decade of financial restructuring in maritime
Op-Ed: A decade of financial restructuring in maritime By Scott C. Clarkson, United States Bankruptcy Judge, Central District of California, Santa Ana, Calif. Over the past decade, several international shipyards, boat builders, and marine shipping companies have encountered financial difficulties due to various external challenges. Notable examples include Harland & Wolff, the historic Belfast shipyard,…