MarRI-UK Maritime Roundup #143

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October 2026
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MarRI-UK

This week’s roundup highlights progress in maritime decarbonisation, autonomy and digitalisation. In the UK, the BPA Conference focused on port resilience, growth and sustainability, alongside new guidance on nuclear readiness and recommendations for a practical maritime fuel standard. Investment in ports, shipbuilding and offshore wind support continued, while AUKUS demonstrations advanced maritime autonomous capabilities. Globally, developments included ammonia fuel milestones, electric ferry deployment and financing for wind-assisted propulsion. AI adoption and cybersecurity also featured strongly, with research highlighting the need for measurable benefits and stronger workforce readiness.

Highlight

  • (19/10) The UK Chamber of Shipping called on government to develop a practical maritime fuel standard supported by clear compliance rules, reliable reporting systems and sufficient low-carbon fuel availability. Read more
  • (22/10) New joint Lloyd’s Register and British Ports Association paper sets out a practical readiness pathway for ports considering nuclear-powered vessels, floating power and small modular reactors.Read more
  • (23/10) BPA annual conference was held in Dover last week, and Dover Port CEO Doug Bannister, Chair of the BPA stated three main challenges facing ports today: Resilience, growth and energy and sustainability Read more

MarRI-UK Member’s and Partner’s News

  • (19/10) BAE Systems, US Department of War sign long‑term agreement to increase APKWS production. Read more
  • (21/10) UK built uncrewed air system advances low-cost counter-drone capability.Read more
  • (21/10) BAE Systems awarded 57Mk3 naval gun and 3P ammunition contract by Sweden.Read more
  • (21/10) BAE Systems to expand advanced manufacturing capabilities in Weld County, Colorado.Read more
  • (21/10) Lloyd’s Register and NSML launch plans for global maritime forum in Nigeria.Read more
  • (21/10) QinetiQ has been recognised as a leading industry partner to help deliver the government’s new flagship future skills and employability programme, TechFirst.Read more
  • (23/10) Babcock strengthens UK Defence capability through major commitment to skills, infrastructure and innovation in Plymouth.Read more
  • (23/10) Two Royal Navy warships have completed a major ten-day workout in the South China Sea with Commonwealth allies. Read more

UK Maritime

  • (19/10) Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States are staging their largest ever demonstration of interoperable maritime autonomous systems, as part of the AUKUS Pillar 2 Maritime Big Play initiative. Read more
  • (19/10) The Celtic Freeport approved £9.2 million of investment for quayside upgrades in Pembrokeshire, supporting the development of floating offshore wind infrastructure in Wales. Read more
  • (19/10) The Royal Navy is leading the anti-submarine warfare strand of the AUKUS Maritime Big Play demonstrations, showcasing uncrewed and autonomous maritime technologies alongside Australian and US partners. Read more
  • (19/10) Navantia UK wins second new vessel export contract at Methil and launches recruitment drive for 60 skilled roles. Read more
  • (19/10) PD Ports strengthens its commitment to the River Tees with multi-million marine investment Read more
  • (20/10) SSE Renewables selected Seaway7 as preferred supplier for foundations and subsea cables for the 1.4GW Berwick Bank B offshore wind project, supporting around 465 UK jobs. Read more
  • (21/10) The Maritime and Coastguard Agency launched a consultation on revised Domestic Safety Management Code regulations, proposing updates to the UK’s domestic vessel safety framework. Read more
  • (21/10) OEG Marine Services ordered three additional crew transfer vessels from Cowes-based Diverse Marine, reinforcing demand for UK shipbuilding and offshore wind support vessels. Read more
  • (21/10) Next UK offshore wind auction delayed by appeals. The delay creates uncertainty for developers and the maritime supply chain, including vessel operators and supporting infrastructure providers. Read more
  • (21/10) Australian fund takes control of UK ports giant in £10bn deal. Australian infrastructure investor IFM Investors has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in Associated British Ports (ABP). Read more
  • (21/10) A new global report from the Ocean Centres initiative is calling for safety to be embedded at the heart of ocean development, highlighting how stronger safety systems can support more resilient, productive and sustainable ocean economies. Read more
  • (21/10) Proposed ABP ownership change puts infrastructure investment in focus Read more
  • (23/10) Hiring Pain Persists for the Majority of Firms Read more
  • (23/10) PD Ports wins ‘Port Development’ Award at BPA conference 2026 Read more

Newly added Funding Opportunities (access the full list via MarRI-UK: Maritime Funding Opportunities)

  • EC Innovation Fund 2026 Maritime Call Open in Dec 2026, Close by Apr 2027
  • Lloyd’s Register Foundation Small Grants Programme 2026 Close by 14 Dec 2026
  • IUK Knowledge Transfer Partnership: 2026 to 2027 round 4 Close by 27 Jan 2027
  • UKRI Data for metascience sandpit 2027 Apply to attend a five-day interactive sandpit to develop novel projects that can address multi-faceted metascience questions related to research and development (R&D) funding and inform R&D policymaking. £2 million will be funded for research projects arising from the sandpit Close by 24 Nov 2026

Events Highlight (Full event list can be found at the end of the roundup)

Key events in the coming month:

Publications

Global Maritime News

Clean Maritime

  • (19/10) Commission invests €3.4 billion in 77 net-zero technology projects under the Innovation Fund call launched in Dec 2026. Read more
  • (20/10) The Global Center for Maritime Decarbonization (GCMD), AIM Horizon Investments, and Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) announced the financing for two wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS) projects. Read more
  • (21/10) The first commercial ship-to-ship green ammonia bunkering operation was completed in China, with 1,000 tonnes of green ammonia transferred to the ammonia-powered bulk carrier Mineral Europa, marking a significant milestone for alternative marine fuels. Read more
  • (23/10) World’s largest fully electric ferry enters service in Latin America Read more
  • (23/10) Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has taken delivery of an ammonia dual-fuel very large ammonia carrier (VLAC) built by South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. Read more

Smart Maritime

  • (19/10) China identifies 22 priority AI application scenarios for water transport focusing on safety improvement, operational efficiency and green transformation Read more
  • (20/10) Blue Autonomy launches online ship performance academy offering 39 courses covering vessel performance, maritime data and the regulations governing how performance is measured and assessed Read more
  • (20/10) Korean Register (KR) has launched a pilot service of its Cyber Resilience Platform (KR-CRP) to help shipowners and shipyards manage documentation required under IACS Unified Requirement (UR) E26 on cyber resilience of ships. Read more
  • (21/10) Navantia and Multiverse Computing sign a strategic agreement to accelerate artificial intelligence applied to naval defence Read more
  • (21/10) Furuno USA secured a $49 million contract to supply radar systems across the US Coast Guard fleet and shore infrastructure, underlining continued investment in maritime digital and navigational technologies. Read more
  • (21/10) Survey found that Electronic Bill of Lading (eBL) adoption grows and interoperability was identified as the next phase of adoption  Read more
  • (22/10) BCG study identifies gaps in port industry AI adoption Read more
  • (22/10) US Navy increases AI-powered ship inspection budget to $300m Read more
  • (23/10) Research finds seafarer training failing to keep pace with digitalisation Read more

Nuclear propulsion for shipping

  • (19/10) A.P. Moller-Maersk is participating in industry studies examining what would be required for nuclear-powered container ships to make routine port calls Read more
  • (20/10) Deployable Energy’s maritime nuclear technology wins SHIPPINGInsight Innovation Award. Read more
  • (22/10) WTW highlights insurance and port acceptance as decisive barriers for nuclear propulsion Read more

Ports

  • (19/10) Belfast Harbour secures £15m for zero-emission trials under Local Innovation Partnership Fund Read more
  • (19/10) Huawei brings AI into everyday port operations Read more
  • (21/10) Shanghai–Melbourne green corridor enters delivery phase Read more
  • (21/10) DP World deploys 17 electric cranes at Jeddah Port Read more
  • (23/10) Port of Riga becomes test environment for resilient maritime communications Read more
  • (23/10) The fourth Port Entrepreneurship International Congress (PEIC) concluded in Valencia, Spain, attracting more than 650 participants from the international maritime, port and logistics sectors. Read more

Shipbuilding

  • (20/10) The German Navy ordered 15 coastal combat boats from Finnish shipbuilder Marine Alutech, strengthening European naval shipbuilding activity and regional maritime security capabilities. Read more
  • (20/10) US launches targeted research call for AI welding and additive manufacturing Read more
  • (22/10) Global shipyard orderbook grows 13%, with China holding 64%  Read more
  • (22/10) World’s Largest Container Line MSC Reportedly Orders 20 More Giant 24,000 TEU Ships From Chinese Shipyard Hengli Heavy Industries Read more
  • (23/10) HD Hyundai to build US shipyard with Kiewit, create 3,000 jobs Read more
  • (24/10) Bluebottel maker Ocius Technology has opened an engineering, production and maintenance hub in Sydney for forty vessels. Read more

Global Shipping

  • (21/10) Equinor and Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC) signed an MoU to explore cooperation on LPG and NGL shipping, storage, trading and logistics in the UAE, supporting future maritime energy supply chains. Read more

Subsea & Offshore

  • (20/10) A new phase of Spain’s DemoSATH floating offshore wind project was announced, focusing on technology optimisation and construction innovations to accelerate deployment of floating wind solutions. Read more
  • (23/10) US-backed subsea data cable to link four Southeast Asian nations, China left out of project Read more

Other global news

  • (16/10) EMSA releases Annual Overview of Marine Casualties and Incidents 2026 Read more
  • (20/10) InterManager warns enclosed space deaths demand urgent industry action Read more
  • (23/10) Spanish Navy developing new air defence variant of F110 frigate Read more

Maritime Events Archive

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We hope the above information is helpful and wish you have a nice week!