Maritime News
Global Maritime
Technology Cooperation
Centre Network concept
mooted at Joint IMOSingapore Future-Ready
Shipping conference
The concept of a global
network of maritime
technology cooperation
centres to accelerate capacity
building and technology
transfer in the maritime field
was one proposal discussed
during the two-day inaugural
Future-Ready Shipping 2015
Conference, a joint IMOSingapore International
Conference on Maritime
Technology Transfer and
Capacity Building, held
in Singapore on 28-29
September 2015.
30
W
ith strong private- and public-sector
engagement, such a global network
could act as a sustainable institutional
framework to catalyze capacity
building and technology transfer,
delegates to the conference agreed
during a break out session. Another idea floated at the
conference looked at the possibility of using domestic
shipping in developing countries to demonstrate new
technologies and to gain experience, thus acting as a
pull factor for technology transfer. It was also noted
that the knowledge gap and readiness of maritime
companies to effectively deploy new technologies could
be addressed through the use of testing facilities, such as
the “Maritime Energy Test Bed” at Singapore’s Nanyang
Technological University. Beyond the “hardware” aspect,
the conference also noted that seafarers should have
a greater voice in initiatives to improve ships’ energy
efficiency.
Some 200 maritime leaders and professionals
attended the conference, which kick-started a global
dialogue on removing barriers to energy-efficiency
technologies and measures. Discussions focused on how
these efforts might be acce