Approximately 11 billion metric tons of merchandise, equating to around 1.5 tons per individual globally, are shipped via maritime routes annually, accounting for roughly 90 percent of worldwide trade by mass. Globally, the commercial shipping fleet comprises about 110,000 ships. These vessels, along with the ports that accommodate them, play crucial roles in both local and international economies — and they also significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
A recent coalition, formalized through a signing event at MIT last week, seeks to tackle climate-damaging emissions in the maritime shipping sector, while promoting initiatives for sustainable operations aligned with the decarbonization objectives established by the International Maritime Organization.
“This is a timely partnership involving key players from the maritime sector, equipped with a bold and interdisciplinary research agenda aimed at developing novel technologies and evidence-based benchmarks,” states Themis Sapsis, the William Koch Professor of Marine Technology at MIT and head of MIT’s Center for Ocean Engineering. “It aspires to leverage MIT’s strengths in vital areas for commercial shipping, such as nuclear technology for commercial applications, autonomous operations and AI strategies, enhanced hydrodynamics and vessel design, cybersecurity, and manufacturing.”
Jointly led by Sapsis and Fotini Christia, the Ford International Professor of the Social Sciences; director of the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS); and head of the MIT Sociotechnical Systems Research Center, the newly-formed MIT Maritime Consortium (MC) unites MIT researchers from various departments, including the Center for Ocean Engineering located within the Department of Mechanical Engineering; IDSS at the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing; the Nuclear Science and Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering departments; MIT Sea Grant; and additional collaborators, alongside a national and international network of industry professionals.
The founding members of the Maritime Consortium include the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Capital Clean Energy Carriers Corp., and HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering. Innovation participants comprise Foresight-Group, Navios Maritime Partners L.P., Singapore Maritime Institute, and Dorian LPG.
“The obstacles faced by the maritime sector are challenges that no single company or organization can overcome independently,” Christia remarks. “The solution encompasses nearly every field from the School of Engineering, in addition to AI and data-driven algorithms, alongside policy and regulation — it’s genuinely a problem that requires MIT’s expertise.”
Researchers will investigate innovative designs for nuclear systems that align with the techno-economic requirements and limitations of commercial shipping, the economic and environmental viability of alternative fuels, new data-informed algorithms and rigorous assessment criteria for autonomous systems within the maritime industry, cyber-physical situational awareness and anomaly identification, along with 3D printing technologies for onboard production. Collaborators will also provide guidance on research priorities pertaining to evidence-based standards related to MIT’s presidential initiatives surrounding climate change, sustainability, and AI.
For over a century, MIT has been a pioneering hub for ship research and design, receiving widespread acclaim for advancements in hydrodynamics, ship structural mechanics and dynamics, propeller design, and overall vessel design, along with its distinctive educational program for U.S. Navy Officers, the Naval Construction and Engineering Program. Current research is at the cutting edge of ocean science and engineering, with substantial efforts directed at fluid mechanics and hydrodynamics, acoustics, offshore mechanics, marine robotics and sensors, and ocean sensing and forecasting. The consortium’s academic foundation at MIT also facilitates interdisciplinary collaborations throughout the Institute.
The MC will initiate numerous research projects aimed at addressing challenges from diverse perspectives, all interconnected by state-of-the-art data analysis and computing methodologies. Collaborators will investigate new designs and techniques that enhance efficiency and minimize greenhouse gas emissions, assess the viability of alternative fuels, and bolster data-driven decision-making, manufacturing processes and materials, hydrodynamic efficiency, and cybersecurity.
“This consortium assembles a formidable collection of influential companies that, collectively, has the potential to reshape global shipping,” observes Christopher J. Wiernicki SM ’85, chair and chief executive officer of ABS.
“The strength and distinctiveness of this consortium lie in its members, all of which are world-class organizations and true agents of change. The ability to harness the experiences and expertise of these members, combined with MIT’s technological reach, creates substantial momentum for driving progress,” Wiernicki states. “Besides investigating primary barriers, bottlenecks, and knowledge deficiencies in the emissions challenge, the consortium seeks to facilitate the development of innovative technology and policy advancements that will be pivotal. In the long run, the consortium aspires to provide the momentum necessary to shift the curve.”