Maintaining the structural integrity of submarine pressure hulls throughout their service life requires a clear understanding of how corrosion and geometric imperfections interact under external pressure loading. Experimental investigation of ring-stiffened cylinders shows that corrosion can significantly reduce collapse strength, particularly when combined with out-of-circularity defects, providing valuable insight for lifecycle assessment, maintenance planning, and submarine structural design.

Designing specialist vessels for uncertain and rapidly evolving markets requires balancing immediate operational needs with the flexibility to remain competitive over decades of service. This study applies Epoch-Era Analysis to the design of an Anchor Handling Tug Supply vessel, demonstrating how future market scenarios can be incorporated into early-stage design decisions to support more adaptable, resilient, and commercially sustainable vessel concepts.

Data-driven modelling techniques are creating new opportunities to predict vessel manoeuvring performance without relying solely on traditional mathematical representations. This study demonstrates the application of a recursive neural network trained using full-scale trial data to simulate catamaran manoeuvres, showing how artificial intelligence can support accurate prediction of ship handling characteristics and assist future vessel design and operational planning.

Bridging the gap between conventional ferries and high-speed craft is driving interest in a new generation of medium-speed catamarans that combine improved transport efficiency with lower environmental impact. This study identifies key hull-form characteristics for minimising resistance, providing design guidance for fuel-efficient twin-hull vessels capable of transporting larger payloads at economically attractive operating speeds.

Understanding the behaviour of high-speed vessels in severe sea conditions remains critical as operators seek to balance performance, passenger comfort, and safety. Full-scale trials of a large wave-piercing catamaran demonstrated the significant influence of vessel speed, heading, and ride-control systems on motion responses, while also providing valuable validation data for numerical seakeeping prediction methods used in vessel design and performance assessment.