A proposed data aggregation framework is strengthening navigation in ice-covered waters by combining forecasts, ice sensing technologies and vessel-specific risk models. By transforming diverse data into regional ice severity maps, the approach supports safer route optimization, informed decision-making and future autonomous operations in challenging polar environments.

Digital twins are emerging as a cornerstone of maritime digital transformation, turning real-time sensor data, models and simulations into actionable operational insight. By clarifying their structure, applications and future evolution, the approach highlights how data-driven learning systems can optimize performance, support decision-making and unlock new opportunities across complex assets.

Artificial intelligence is enabling smarter, energy-efficient ship operations through real-time decision support. Using sea-trial data and optimized neural network models, the system accurately predicts fuel consumption across voyage scenarios, supporting weather routing, trim and ballast optimization. The approach demonstrates how data-driven forecasting can improve operational efficiency, sustainability and voyage planning.

Artificial intelligence is enabling smarter, energy-efficient ship operations through real-time decision support. Using sea-trial data and optimized neural network models, the system accurately predicts fuel consumption across voyage scenarios, supporting weather routing, trim and ballast optimization. The approach demonstrates how data-driven forecasting can improve operational efficiency, sustainability and voyage planning.

The debate over requirements definition and systems engineering continues to shape the procurement of complex naval vessels, where balancing operational needs, affordability, and technical feasibility remains a significant challenge. Growing recognition of the close relationship between requirements and design is driving calls for more integrated and iterative approaches to early-stage ship development.

Hybrid propulsion systems are attracting growing interest as shipowners seek practical pathways to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions. This study demonstrates that battery-diesel-electric propulsion can be integrated into modern bulk carriers with minimal impact on cargo capacity, while careful system placement may also offer operational benefits through improved weight distribution and trim optimisation.

As environmental, safety, and regulatory expectations increase, ship recycling is under growing pressure to modernise and improve operational standards. The development of knowledge-based expert systems offers a means of supporting decision-making across the recycling process, helping stakeholders enhance safety, environmental performance, and management of increasingly complex ship dismantling activities.

As ship design projects grow in complexity, designers are increasingly seeking methods that can accommodate uncertainty and keep options open for longer. This research demonstrates how set-based design, supported by intelligent decision-support tools, can improve resilience to late-stage design changes, enabling more informed decisions and reducing the risk of costly redesign during development.

Slamming remains one of the most demanding load cases in marine structural design, with significant implications for vessel safety and durability. Improved numerical methods are enhancing the prediction of water-impact pressures and forces, providing deeper insight into the effects of hull geometry and impact conditions while supporting more robust structural assessments.

Improving confidence in damage-stability assessments depends on a clear understanding of how flooding progresses through complex internal spaces and how accurately this behaviour can be modelled. Growing reliance on numerical flooding simulations is increasing the demand for robust validation data, with full-scale experiments playing an important role in refining prediction methods and supporting more reliable survivability assessments.

The transition towards risk-based safety regulation is reshaping the way ship survivability is assessed, particularly for complex vessel types such as passenger ships. Growing industry experience with probabilistic damage-stability requirements is highlighting both the opportunities and challenges of implementing performance-based approaches, driving ongoing development of assessment methodologies, approval processes, and supporting design standards.