The past week was marked by major industry events including Shipping UK 2026 and GreenPort Congress, alongside continued progress in maritime decarbonisation, digitalisation and alternative fuels. Key developments included growing deployment of AI-powered maritime technologies, ammonia fuel milestones, increasing investment in port electrification and infrastructure, and continued momentum behind global shipbuilding and autonomous vessel programmes.
Highlight
- (06/10) UK Chamber launched Refreshed Strategy at Shipping UK 2026 to put shipping at the heart of Britain’s Growth and resilience agenda Read more
- (06/10) The UK’s flagship shipping conference Shipping UK 2026 was held in on 6 Oct 2026 in London, highlighted the sector’s priorities around security, decarbonisation, digitalisation and investment, Read more
- (09/10) 21st GreenPort Congress was held in last week with focus on port electrification and energy infrastructure and a key topic has been how ports can deliver decarbonisation while maintaining competitiveness Read more
MarRI-UK Member’s and Partner’s News
- (05/10) The Sponsor of the Royal Navy’s new frigate HMS Belfast has been officially revealed at BAE Systems’ Govan yard Read more
- (06/10) British commandos emerged from the depths of the North Atlantic on a German submarine to carry out a daring operation as part of the largest test of all arms of the UK Commando Force in 15 years Read more
- (06/10) Lloyd’s Register (LR) has awarded AiP to GasEntec for a LNG floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) capable of delivering up to one billion cubic feet of gas per day Read more
- (07/10) BMT launches submarine learning initiative to support Canada’s future underwater capability workforce Read more
- (08/10) BAE Systems receives $230 million contract for new Amphibious Combat Vehicle variant Read more
UK Maritime
- (01/10) Ports set out plan to support Prime Minister’s drive to bring energy costs into line with Europe Read more
- (07/10) Five-year journey positions Portsmouth at heart of clean ports, following the UK’s first high-voltage, multi-berth, multi-user shore power system Read more
- (07/10) Peel Ports expands UK warehouse in Liverpool and Glasgow by more than 1m sq ft for critical UK industries Read more
- (07/10) ABP’s HELM Immignham opens for business with Phase One of 227-acre development complete Read more
- (08/10) The arrival of Europe’s largest quay cranes strengthens Port of Southampton’s ability to support growing international trade Read more
Newly added Funding Opportunities (access the full list via MarRI-UK: Maritime Funding Opportunities)
- Applications have opened for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS), which will tackle high energy costs challenge facing British industry. Under the scheme, eligible businesses could have their energy bills slashed by up to 25%. Apply by 30 Nov 2026
- EMSA tender on Ship design and safety assessment of nuclear fission technologies for maritime applications Tender close on 7 Dec 2026
- Manufacturing Scale-up Network Plus Opportunity to build a Network Plus to accelerate the scale-up of manufacturing innovation, driving growth across aerospace, automotive and wider UK advanced manufacturing frontier industries. Apply by 9 Dec 2026
- Public Engagement Spark Awards 2026B Apply for funding to engage the public with Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) supported science. Apply by 10 Dec 2026
- Eureka collaborative R&D: Globalstars Japan 2027 UK registered organisations can apply for a share of £2 million for collaborative industrial research and development (R&D) projects with partners from Japan and select Eureka countries. Apply by 20 Jan 2027
- Pre-announcement: Future Data Services: Joining up the data service workforce Apply for Future Data Services funding to bring together communities of practitioners to exchange knowledge, improve working practices and deliver better data services for researchers. Apply by 13 Apr 2027
Events Highlight (Full maritime events list can be found at the end of the roundup)
- 19 Oct 2026 Next steps for maritime decarbonisation in the UK – London
- 23 Oct 2026 MarRI-UK research seminar From Nonlinear Simulation to AI-Assisted Assessment of Container Stacks under Ship Motions – Online Email if you want to attend.
- 19 Nov 2026 Horizon Europe info day — Cluster 5: Climate, Energy and Mobility and GREENET Brokerage Event – Brussels
- 27 Oct 2026 Joint MarLEN workshop on challenges, opportunities and solutions related to ferries – Online
- 2 Nov 2026 Ports: Shaping the Future of Decarbonisation (LR and BPA) – London
- 4 Nov 2026 RINA President’s Invitation Lecture “Nuclear propulsion and regulation of future commercial maritime systems” – London
- 11 Nov 2026 Marine Energy Transition Forum METF 26 – London
- 17 Nov 2026 RINA The Naval Architect 2026 – Southampton
- 18 Nov 2026 Funding the Future Fleet (Get Set for Workboat 2050) – Harrogate
- 18-19 Nov 2026 Shore Power Summit 2026 – Rotterdam
Key events in the coming month:
- 20-22 October 2026 – British Ports Association Conference 2026 – Dover, UK
- 27 October 2026 Joint MarLEN workshop on challenges, opportunities and solutions related to ferries – Online
- 3-6 November 2026 – World Ports Conference 2026 – London, UK
- 10-12 November 2026 – IMarEST | INEC/iSCSS 2026 – Edinburgh, UK
- 17 Nov 2026 – SMI Annual Current Trends in Shipping Review 2026 – London, UK
Publications
- BPA published a new report ‘Powering UK Ports: A Policy Framework for Electrification & Shore Power’, sets out 14 recommendations ahead of this month’s Budget Download
- DNA published 10th edition of Energy Transition Outlook Download
- GMF Turning wating time into savings: Lessons from Cargill’s port call optimisation pilot Download
- Waterborne Technology Roadmaps, set R&D and innovation priorities across decarbonisation, digitalisation, autonomy, resilience, skills and industrial competitiveness, and are intended to support implementation of the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy Download
- ESPO Environmental Report 2026 (EcoPortsInSights 2026) was launched during GreenPort Congress, providing insights into environmental priorities and sustainability performance across European ports. Download
Global Maritime News
Clean Maritime
- (02/10) BW Offshore’s blue ammonia floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) concept, jointly developed with McDermott, has received Approval in Principle from DNV Read more
- (06/10) RINA, PTT Team Up on Energy and Maritime Decarbonization Read more
- (06/10) SEA-LNG puts case for methane fuels at IMO Read more
- (09/10) Viking Energy PSV Moves Closer to Ammonia Operations as Azane Fuel Solutions received approval to conduct a test bunkering of up to 73 tonnes of ammonia aboard the vessel Read more
- (09/10) BIMCO adopts retrofit addendum to support decarbonisation Read more
- (10/10) Report from DNV reveals methanol technically ready but owners face long‑term fuel pathway gamble Read more
- (10/10) World’s first major ammonia-powered bulk carrier Mineral Europa by CMB.TECH completed sea trials andenters service for Australian iron ore Read more
- (11/10) Hapag-Lloyd completes first simultaneous operations bunkering biomethanol Read more
Smart Maritime
- (05/10) Sofar Ocean has launched Wayfinder Explore, a self-service voyage optimisation platform that allows masters and shore teams to test and compare routing decisions using the company’s weather forecasts and vessel performance models. Read more
- (05/10) Seasats deploys uncrewed fleet for US maritime border surveillance Read more
- (07/10) Lloyd’s List Intelligence introduced satellite verification capabilities to validate AIS positions and identify spoofing activity. Read more
- (08/10) Singapore MPA Bill puts cybersecurity and autonomy into maritime regulation Read more
- (08/10) Navarone announced deployment of DeepSea Technologies’ Vessel Intelligence platform across its fleet, using AI and performance analytics to optimise vessel operations and fuel efficiency Read more
- (09/10) Robosys VOYAGER AI Maritime Autonomy Software completed testing at MARIN Read more
Nuclear propulsion for shipping
- (05/10) Liberty Global Logistics, Hyundai Glovis signed MoU to evaluate the feasibility of operating Nuclear-Powered PCTCs Read more
- (06/10) How Does the Public Really Feel about Small Modular Reactors? Read more
Ports
- (05/10) Rotterdam’s Gate Terminal expands LNG storage capacity as the 4th LNG tank at Gate Terminal ready and commissioned Read more
- (07/10) Boluda invests €40m to develop a multipurpose terminal at the Port of Barcelona after securing a 16-year concession at the Príncep d’Espanya wharf Read more
- (07/10) Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), India’s largest container port, has secured a US$70m loan from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to develop shore power infrastructure across its terminals Read more
- (09/10) Klaipėda Port completes private 5G trials as it assesses how the technology could support automation and improve operational efficiency Read more
Global Shipping
- (08/10) An industry coalition has been formally launched to develop a green shipping corridor between India and Europe, with a focus on green methanol and green ammonia Read more
Shipbuilding
- (06/10) Shipbuilding orders increase rapidly with 147 newbuilding orders during week ending 4 Oct. Orders for alternative-fuelled vessels reached 168 in the 3rd quarter of 2026. Read more
- (06/10) Samsung Heavy Industries secures major gas carrier orders Read more
- (07/10) Anduril Industries and the U.S. Navy announced a major investment in the new Arsenal-2 shipyard in Maryland, combining roughly US$3.7 billion in private investment with significant government contracts to expand submarine-industrial-base capacity. Read more
- (07/10) India continues major shipbuilding expansion, aiming to become a top-10 shipbuilding nation by 2030 Read more
- (08/10) Port Alpha shipyard development begins marking the start of a major expansion in US maritime manufacturing. The development will establish facilities for the production of autonomous, autonomy-capable and manned vessels Read more
Maritime Events Archive
- 13 October 2026 – ESA Business Applications Ambassador for Belgium 2027-2030– Online
- 20-22 October 2026 – British Ports Association Conference 2026 – Dover, UK
- 20-22 October 2026 – Seatrade Maritime Crew Connect Global – Manila, Philippines
- 20-22 October 2026 – TOC Americas – Cartagena, Colombia
- 21 October 2026 –Net Zero in Peril? The case for a new low carbon social contract in the UK – Glasgow, UK
- 22 October 2026 – Unlocking Defence Innovation: Strategic Technology Investment Conference with the British Business Bank & SWRDSC – Plymouth, UK
- 3-6 November 2026 – World Ports Conference 2026 – London, UK
- 10-12 November 2026 – IMarEST | INEC/iSCSS 2026 – Edinburgh, UK
- 12 November 2026 – Hydrogen Innovation Showcase 2026 – London, UK
- 17 Nov 2026 – SMI Annual Current Trends in Shipping Review 2026 – London, UK
- 19 November 2026 – Euro-CASE Annual Conference 2026 – Belfast, UK
- 24 Nov 2026 – Working with Maritime Defence Primes: Practical Pathways for UK SMEs
- 24-25 November 2026 – Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference (OEEC 2026) – Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 25 November 2026 – Sesam User Conference 2026 – Høvik, Norway
- 26 November 2026 –SMI Workboat Working Group 2026 Annual Seminar – London, UK
- 26 November 2026 – SMI Annual Dinner 2026 – London, UK
- 7-8 December 2026 – International Conference on Smart, Sustainable & Green Shipbuilding 2026 (SSGS 2026) – Glasgow, UK
- 13 January 2027 – IGNITE Network+ Final Event: Turning Insight into Action – Glasgow, UK
- 1-2 March 2027 – SMI Convention 2027 – Liverpool, UK
- 15-17 June 2027 – Seawork 2027 – Southampton, UK
- 7-10 September 2027 –DSEI 2027 – London, UK
- 13-17 September 2027 – London International Shipping Week – London, UK
- 2-5 November 2027 – Europort 2027 – Rotterdam, Netherlands