A groundbreaking new consortium aims to revolutionize the maritime industry’s approach to sustainability, tackling climate-harming emissions and paving the way for a cleaner, greener future.
Around 11 billion tons of goods, or about 1.5 tons per person worldwide, are transported by sea each year, representing about 90 percent of global trade by volume. Internationally, the merchant shipping fleet numbers around 110,000 vessels. These ships, and the ports that service them, are significant contributors to the local and global economy – and they’re significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.
The need for sustainable solutions in the maritime industry has never been more pressing. A new consortium, formalized at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) last week, aims to address climate-harming emissions in the maritime shipping industry while supporting efforts for environmentally friendly operation in compliance with the decarbonization goals set by the ‘International Maritime Organization’.
The MIT Maritime Consortium, co-led by Themis Sapsis and Fotini Christia, brings together MIT collaborators from across campus, including the Center for Ocean Engineering, with a national and an international community of industry experts. The consortium’s founding members are the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Capital Clean Energy Carriers Corp., and HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Maritime Consortium is a research initiative that aims to improve the efficiency and sustainability of global maritime trade.
Established in 2019, the consortium brings together experts from academia, industry, and government to address challenges facing the shipping industry.
Key areas of focus include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, optimizing supply chain management, and developing innovative technologies for vessel design and operation.
The challenges the maritime industry faces are complex and require a multi-disciplinary approach. ‘The solution involves almost every discipline from the School of Engineering, as well as AI and data-driven algorithms, and policy and regulation – it’s a true MIT problem,’ says Christia. Researchers will explore new designs for nuclear systems, economic and environmental feasibility of alternative fuels, new data-driven algorithms and rigorous evaluation criteria for autonomous platforms in the maritime space.
The maritime industry plays a crucial role in global trade, transporting over 90% of the world's goods.
With a fleet of over 100,000 ships, it generates an estimated $1 trillion in economic activity annually.
The industry supports millions of jobs worldwide and is responsible for the transportation of essential commodities like 'oil, gas, and food'.
Maritime trade facilitates international commerce, connecting economies and fostering global growth.
The consortium’s academic home at MIT also opens the door to cross-departmental collaboration across the Institute. ‘This is a timely collaboration with key stakeholders from the maritime industry with a very bold and interdisciplinary research agenda that will establish new technologies and evidence-based standards,’ says Sapsis.
The MC will launch multiple research projects designed to tackle challenges from a variety of angles, all united by cutting-edge data analysis and computation techniques. Collaborators will research new designs and methods that improve efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, explore feasibility of alternative fuels, and advance data-driven decision-making, manufacturing and materials, hydrodynamic performance, and cybersecurity.
A research project is a systematic investigation aimed at discovering new knowledge, understanding, or solving a problem.
It involves collecting and analyzing data to answer specific questions or test hypotheses.
Research projects can be academic, industrial, or government-funded, and may involve laboratory experiments, surveys, case studies, or other methods.
The goal of a research project is to contribute to the existing body of knowledge in a particular field.
The Maritime Consortium’s founding members believe that the ability to harness the members’ experience and know-how, along with MIT‘s technology reach, creates real potential for progress. ‘This consortium brings a powerful collection of significant companies that, together, has the potential to be a global shipping shaper in itself,’ says Christopher J. Wiernicki SM ’85, chair and chief executive officer of ABS.
The consortium hopes to provide the gravity needed to bend the curve on greenhouse gas emissions. With its unique blend of industry expertise and academic research capabilities, the MIT Maritime Consortium is poised to play a leading role in shaping the future of sustainable maritime shipping.
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