The “Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional” (BRIN), Indonesia’s national agency for research and innovation, has commissioned the French shipbuilder PIRIOU to design and build two research vessels:a multimission offshore hydro-oceanographic vessel (ORV – Ocean Going Research Vessel) and a coastal research vessel (CRV – Coastal Research Vessel).
Since the Iranian Revolution and overthrow of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979, the Strait of Hormuz has been a geographic constant as a choke point for which closure has been threatened from time to time but never truly closed. The longstanding assumption of the continued openness of the strait collapsed on February 28, 2026.
Concerns grew on Monday that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran might not hold after the U.S. said it had seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade and Iran vowed to retaliate.Efforts to build a more lasting peace in the region likewise appeared to be on shaky ground, as Iran said it would not participate in a second round of negotiations that the U.S.
KERSHIP, a joint venture between PIRIOU and Naval Group, launched the PETAR NJEGOS I, the first of two OPV 60M offshore patrol vessels ordered by Montenegro, at its Lanester shipyard on Friday, September 11, 2026.The ceremony, marking a milestone in the program, was attended by numerous Montenegrin and French dignitaries, including Mr. Aleksa Becic, Deputy Prime Minister, Mr.
Singapore and Brazil have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Singapore-Brazil Green and Digital Shipping Corridor. The MoU was signed by Singapore’s Minister for Transport, Jeffrey Siow, and Brazil’s Minister of Ports and Airports, Tomé Franca.Brazil has significant renewable energy resources and production capabilities that could support the production of zero- and
The UK P&I Club has announced the appointment of Ms. Jeong-Sook Kim as Senior Underwriting Director, with initial responsibility for the Korean market. Based in the Club's London office, she will work closely with William Beveridge, Chief Underwriting Officer, and the wider Asia-Pacific leadership team.
Geopolitical uncertainty, decarbonization, digitalization and new energy efficiency requirements are fundamentally reshaping the maritime industry. At the joint press conference for SMM 2026, MS&D Conference & Expo and ALL ABOUT PORTS, representatives from industry, shipping the port sector and maritime organizations discussed the key challenges and opportunities facing the future of the industry.
Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) has announced the appointment of Dr. Jeffrey Guo as Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, and Maciej Lepicki as Vice President, Greater China, effective June 1, 2026.As Senior Vice President for Asia Pacific, Jeffrey succeeds Alex Gregg-Smith, who was appointed President of BV Marine & Offshore in January 2026.
Zeabuz has entered a partnership with Brim Explorer to deploy ZeaWatch Docking Assist across Brim Explorer’s fleet, starting with MS Bre later this year. Set to be installed in Q3 2026, the system will increase docking precision through advanced situational awareness, contributing to predictable, safe and cost-efficient operations.
On January 6, 2026, Ms. Laura DiBella of Florida was sworn in as a Commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC or Commission). Commissioner DiBella will serve for a term that expires on June 30, 2028. Commissioner DiBella was nominated by President Trump on September 3, 2025, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 18, 2025
During a live showcase on board Scylla’s new passenger vessel MS Lumière, Shipping Technology, Retina, and Scylla successfully completed the first-ever autonomous Dock2Dock voyage—from undocking in Hardinxveld-Giessendam to docking in Gorinchem.The demonstration combined Retina’s M-Pilot maneuvering system with the ST BRAIN and Autonomous Lane Assist (ST Sailing) from Shipping Technology
On October 9, 2025, the Fratelli Cosulich Group launched Maya Cosulich — the world’s first methanol-powered IMO II chemical bunker tanker — at Taizhou Maple Leaf Shipyard.The ceremony was attended by Ms. Hoe Sook Mei from the Fratelli Cosulich Singapore office, who served as the Godmother of Maya Cosulich.