On the 1st of February 2024, the Clean Maritime Research Partnership met at Connected Places Catapult (London), to explore the role of digitalisation in decarbonising the maritime sector.
Session 1 included an introduction to the UK National Clean Maritime Research Hub (UK-MaRes Hub), outlining the purpose, vision, and overview of the programme of activity. There was an opportunity to meet colleagues working in the Hub, followed by a presentation from Mark Wray, Ecosystem Director of Maritime and Ports at Connected Places Catapult.
Session 2 featured presentations from key maritime stakeholders, including:
- Justin Anderson (Director of the Digital Twin Hub at Connected Places Catapult)
- Eleanor Hadland (Director of Hadland Maritime)
- Owain Brennan (Director of SeerBi)
Following the presentations, participants took part in workshop activities to Map the Digital Landscape.
A Focus on Flexible Funding
As part of the morning session, attendees were invited to vote on the topics for UK-MaRes Hub’s first flexible funding call, ensuring that the themes were relevant to academia and industry, and had the potential for real-world impact. Of the 14 options presented, the following priority areas were agreed to be the focus of the Wave 1 Funding Call:
- Real-time vessel data communication.
- Novel energy solutions for ports.
- Ammonia and liquid hydrogen bunkering/debunkering.
- Risk and uncertainty regarding marine regulations and policy implications.
- Modal shift: utilising coastal shipping to move freight to create marine freight highways.
- Novel energy-saving devices to improve vessel efficiency.
- Novel cost-effective nuclear propulsion systems.