Human factors remain a leading contributor to maritime incidents, demanding more effective methods to understand complex failures. By combining SHIELD-HFACS, influence weighting and causal mapping through SOAM, a new framework exposes how organisational, supervisory and operational weaknesses interact, enabling deeper safety insights and supporting more targeted, evidence-based risk reduction strategies.

The effectiveness of maritime emissions regulation is increasingly under scrutiny. Analysis of Carbon Intensity Indicator performance reveals opportunities for energy-based alternatives, including propulsion-focused efficiency metrics and clearer emissions accounting. The findings highlight potential regulatory overlap, offering strategic insights into how future frameworks could better accelerate greenhouse gas reductions ahead globally.

Years of extensive testing are paying off for Slovenia’s EJET, which is soon to expand its all-electric jet tender business with a larger, more powerful model

Autonomous maritime systems may reduce risk to personnel, but claims of improved safety require stronger evidence. By applying inherent safety, fault tolerance and layered protection principles within dynamic safety cases, evolving approaches are reshaping system design, governance and assurance while addressing complex legal, operational and stakeholder challenges in autonomy.

Climate change is challenging long-held assumptions in vessel design and operability. Emerging evidence on extreme waves, cyclones and shifting ocean conditions highlights growing risks to stability, structural integrity and efficiency. By aligning future climate projections with design criteria, new recommendations aim to strengthen resilience, safety and operational performance.

Achieving IMO Degree 4 autonomy is reshaping naval certification, with adaptive, goal-based frameworks enabling progression from remotely operated to fully autonomous vessels. Collaboration across UK defence regulators aligns safety and legal principles while addressing emerging architectures, technology risks, and engineering challenges. Early lessons reveal opportunities for scalable certification pathways ahead.

Painting of unknown date of Adelphi Terrace, London - the first headquarters of The Royal Institution of Naval Architects

In the early days, the Institution settled in rooms at Adelphi Terrace, London – first at No. 7, then at No. 9 and finally at No. 5 (the former house of David Garrick). The proximity of Adelphi Terrace to the Royal Society of Arts where John Scott Russell had been Secretary, and where for many years meetings of the Institution were held, made the choice of the Institution’s first headquarters very convenient.

1919-1938 Photograph of unknown date of Adam Street, London

With the reconstruction of Adelphi Terrace after the 1914-1918 war, the Institution moved to the south corner of Adam Street nearby.

DRIFT Energy’s Most Valuable Yacht concept is designed to convert wind energy into green hydrogen while on the move, care of wind-assisted propulsion, a submerged turbine and a unique wind-hunting algorithm

Years of extensive testing are paying off for Slovenia’s EJET, which is soon to expand its all-electric jet tender business with a larger, more powerful model

View the full PDF version of the May-June 2026 edition of The Naval Architect magazine.

View the full PDF version of the May/June 2026 edition of The Naval Architect magazine.