Cargo Owners for Zero Emission Vessels (coZEV)
Year Founded: 2021
Employee Count:
Cargo Owners for Zero Emission Vessels (coZEV) is a cargo owner-led platform for collaboration that enables maritime freight customers to come together and use their brand power and economies of scale to accelerate the adoption of zero emission vessels. coZEV is designed to allow cargo owners to collaborate with one another to bring leadership to the maritime industry to promote decarbonisation. coZEV members include some of the world’s biggest cargo owners such as; Amazon, Ikea, Patagonia and Inditex. coZEV members have committed to bring emissions from their own maritime supply chains down to net zero by 2040, and to catalyse the resort of the industry to do the same by 2050.
Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute
Year Founded: 2019
Employee Count: 101-250
The Cyprus and Maritime Institute (CMMI) is a centre of excellence for marine and maritime research, innovation and technology development. CMMI’s vision is to drive sustainable blue growth by addressing the needs of the marine industry. They have ten research centres involved in many things including marine observation, marine robotics, digitalisation and more. CMMI has recently partnered with OneLearn Global and launched One Net’s e-learning division, which aims to collaborate on education and training projects encompassing marine and offshore technology, marine robotics and maritime digitalisation.
Innovation Norway
Year Founded: 2014
Employee Count: 251-1K
Innovation Norway aims to contribute to sustainable growth and exports for Norwegian businesses through capital and expertise. They support companies in developing their competitive advantages and work to leverage Norwegian entrepreneurs’ innovations. Among a wide range of funding for projects in maritime, Innovation Norway has recently supported technology company ScanReach to conduct five technology pilots. The funding covers 60% of the project costs projects aimed at enhancing personnel protection in the offshore wind industry, retrofitting ships for real-time monitoring of fuel consumption, environmental monitoring of hazards areas onboard and wireless sensor solutions for automatic man overboard fall detection.
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MARAD
Year Founded: 1967
Employee Count: 251-1K
MARAD is the US government’s body responsible for waterborne transport. Their aim is to support the technical aspects of America’s maritime transportation infrastructure. MARAD recently announced $39million of funding to 12 marine highway projects aimed at reducing congestion in US coastal infrastructure. MARAD is also involved in the development of autonomous systems. This has included partnering with Sea Machines Robotics and Maine Maritime Academy to develop the education required to operate autonomous vessels.
Maritime Research Institute Netherlands
Year Founded: 1929
Employee Count: 251-1K
The Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) is dedicated to furthering maritime understanding and knowledge. Today, MARIN is an internationally recognised authority on ships and offshore hydrodynamics. Recently, MARIN announced that they are developing a new concept design for an Autonomous Guard Vessel. The new design aims to be smaller and lighter than current guard vessels currently in use and demonstrate the benefits of autonomous shipping.
MPA Singapore
Year Founded: 1996
Employee Count: 251-1K
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was established in 1996 to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre and advance and safeguard Singapore’s strategic maritime interests. MPA is the driving force behind Singapore’s port and maritime development, taking on the roles of Port Authority, Port Regulator, Port Planner, and representing Singapore on international bodies. MPA partners with the industry and other agencies to enhance safety, security and environmental protection in port waters, facilitate port operations and growth, expand the cluster of maritime ancillary services, and promote maritime R&D and manpower development.
MPA Singapore has announced an incredibly wide range of partnerships and initiatives in the last year. This includes their annual smart port challenge, a partnership with the Port of Rotterdam to establish a green digital corridor, and partnerships with Wartsila and CMA CGM on the development of digital services and low emission fuels.
In October of this year, MPA announced plans to start registering bunker fuel sales digitally over the next two years in order to improve efficiency, trade transparency and cut down on fraud. The switch to electronic bunker delivery notes from physical documents will be followed by a project to register all oil flows digitally by 2024.
MPA Singapore is also partnering with other government bodies to develop a 5G mobile network in Singapore’s significant anchorages, fairway terminals and boarding grounds, giving all vessels in the area access to mobile internet. The network is set to be live by mid-2025.
National Oceanography Centre
Year Founded: 1994
Employee Count: 251-1K
The National Oceanography Centre is an independent, self-governing organisation, a charitable company limited by a guarantee. Their Autonomous Techniques for infraStructure Ecological Assessment (AT-SEA) aims to use submarine-like boats for high-tech, low-impact monitoring to monitor any potential environmental impact of offshore operations. They are currently testing the submarine on end-of-life oil fields off the Shetland Islands to help monitor and protect the North Sea’s marine environment and support the industry’s net-zero targets. Should the test be a success, it may eventually replace the current approach for environmental monitoring for decommissioning that requires dedicated ships and teams of people offshore.
NOAA
Year Founded: 1807
Employee Count: 10K-50K
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is an American scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce that focuses on the conditions of the oceans, major waterways, and the atmosphere. NOAA is currently establishing a new unmanned system operations program, an unmanned airborne and maritime data collection system. The new program will promote a safe, efficient and economical way of collecting high-quality environmental data. They aim to do this using sensor equipped vehicles that operate autonomously or are remotely piloted.
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Port of Antwerp-Bruges
Year Founded: 1997
Employee Count: 1,001+
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges is a centuries-old gateway to Europe and one of the biggest ports in the world. In May 2022, the port announced that it had ordered the construction of the world’s first hydrogen-powered tugs. The tugs shall burn hydrogen and diesel together and have been described as ultra-low emission vessels. The Port of Antwerp is also testing 3D sonar sensors, which can be used to improve awareness of ships surrounding for autonomous shipping.
Port of Ashdod
Year Founded: 1965
Employee Count: 1K-5K
Ashdod Port is one of Israel’s three main cargo ports, and runs a dedicated startup accelerator to encourage innovation. Recently, the port has partnered with the Port of Barcelona to promote Israeli innovation in Europe. Under the new agreement, Israeli start-ups from Ashdod’s incubator that complete a pilot programme will be able to conduct a pilot programme at the Port of Barcelona.
Port of Barcelona
Year Founded: 1901
Employee Count: 251-1000
The Port of Barcelona is the 9th largest European port. The port has been working with Vodafone, IBM, and Huaweu to develop a 5G network capable of delivering detailed information on approaching vessels to stakeholders in real time. In addition, Barcelona’s port community system Portic is currently being integrated with TradeLens, a digital logistics platform based on blockchain technology. The integration involves exchanging real-time information to provide more details of the loading and unloading operations at the Barcelona port facilities.
Port of Hamburg
Year Founded: 1985
Employee Count: 251-1000
The Port of Hamburg is currently the third largest port in Europe and the 18th largest in the world. The port is working with terminal operator HHLA to facilitate the development of hydrogen powered port equipment. This includes the development of a Clean Port and Logistics cluster, funded by the federal government, that is developing a test field for hydrogen vehicles within one of the port’s terminals.
Port of LA
Year Founded: 1907
Employee Count: 251-1000
The Port of Los Angeles is a major container handling port on the west coast of the USA. The port has also just launched its new Cyber Resilience centre, which was created to improve its cybersecurity readiness and enhance its threat-sharing and recovery capabilities among supply chain stakeholders to reduce the risk of disruption.
Port of Rotterdam
Year Founded: 1932
Employee Count: 1K-5K
The port of Rotterdam is Europe’s largest seaport. The Port of Rotterdam has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Port of Gothenburg for the realisation of a Green Corridor to support sustainable shipping between the two ports. As part of the Green Corridor, the ports will establish a common framework for cooperation to stimulate the use of new alternative fuels needed to reach full maritime decarbonisation and contribute to the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Portbase
Year Founded: 2009
Employee Count: 51-250
Portbase was founded in 2009 by the Port of Rotterdam and Port of Amsterdam as a port community system for the Netherlands. Portbase facilitates data sharing between companies and information exchange with governments to work faster, efficiently and at a lower cost. As part of their international strategy, Portbase recently announced a cooperation with RheinPorts to expand digital infrastructure along the Rhine-Alps corridor, and the connection to international trade platforms GSBN and Tradelens.
The Alan Turing Institute
Year Founded: 2015
Employee Count: 101-250
The Alan Turing Institute is the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence. The Institute’s mission is to undertake data science research at the intersection of computer science, mathematics, statistics and systems engineering; provide technically informed advice to policymakers on the broader implications of algorithms. The Alan Turing Institute has been working with the University of Southampton and local SME Theyr, to create a new voyage optimisation solution that uses the latest advances in artificial intelligence to improve fuel savings by at least 5%.
The Nippon Foundation
Year Founded: 1962
Employee Count: 51-250
The Nippon Foundation is a private, non-profit, grant-making organisation. Working with partners including the UKHO, Terradepth, and Absolute Ocean, the Foundation recently launched Seabed 2030, a project aiming to have 100% of the ocean floor mapped by 2030. The Nippon Foundation is also actively funding more than 40 companies developing autonomous maritime technology.
Tianjin Port
Year Founded: 1860
Employee Count: 251-1000
Tianjin Port is the world’s fourth largest port by tonnage and the ninth in container throughput. The port trades with more than 600 ports in 180 countries and territories around the world. It is served by over 115 regular container lines. run by 60 liner companies, including all the top 20 liners. The large volume of port traffic and high urban population make Tianjin a Large-Port Megacity, the largest type of port city in the world. With this, the need to keep up to date with new technologies is essential for this port. The port has signed a Mou with Wärtsilä Voyage and CSS to advance China’s intelligent vessel technology and deploy the next generation of tugboat technology, due to be in service in the fourth quarter of 2023.
UK Research & Innovation
Year Founded: 2018
Employee Count: 1K-5K
UK Research and Innovation work in partnership with universities, research organisations, businesses, charities, and government to create the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish. The UKRI has been working with the European Commission who together have co-funded SafeNet, a maritime safety project which was launched this year. The project works towards creating safer and more secure bridge navigation whilst moving towards a world of remote operations and autonomous shipping.
UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO)
Year Founded: 1707
Employee Count: 250-1000
The UKHO sources, processes, and provides access to marine geospatial data, ranging from the seabed to the surface. Their ADMIRALTY Maritime Data Solutions portfolio is found on over 90% of the world’s ships trading internationally. It provides the most comprehensive official coverage of the world’s busiest international shipping routes and ports. In a bid to keep up with the technological changes in the maritime industry, the UKHO has recently announced some significant changes to the way it works.
The first is the announcement to withdraw from global paper chart production by late 2026 to increase the focus on its digital navigational products and services. The plans to withdraw ADMIRALTY standard nautical charts and thematic charts are in response to more marine, naval and leisure users primarily using digital products and services for navigation.
The phased withdrawal of paper charts will take place over several years. In the meantime, they aim to develop viable, official digital alternatives for sectors still using paper chart products. This will be carefully managed and in close liaison with the MCA, other regulatory bodies, hydrographic officers, and industry partners.
Earlier in the year, the UKHO also announced they are kickstarting a project to encourage the adoption of the IHO’s new S100 standard for navigation data. The project uses the S-102 Bathymetric Surface standard and will run as a sea trial in collaboration with the Port of London Authority and solution SEAiq Pilot. The new S-100 data standard will enable hydrographic offices around the world to create new data layers for navigation with greater granularity of bathymetric information than the traditional ENC, improving safe navigation and unlocking more economic value for ports.
