MARAD Picks ABS as Partner for New US Maritime Innovation Center
The United States Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Office of Environment and Innovation has selected American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) to establish and maintain the U.S. Center for Maritime Innovation under a five-year cooperative agreement.
Authorized by the U.S. Congress, the center is intended to support the adoption of clean energy on U.S. vessels through a wide-ranging program of research and development and training support.
The center will work to facilitate development of infrastructure to support the deployment of clean energy, identify research gaps in emerging marine technologies specific to U.S. maritime industry, and conduct research, development, testing, and evaluation of equipment and provide guidance on best available marine technologies.
Also, the center will be engaged in assessing and monitoring U.S. knowledge of emerging marine technologies, assist with understanding complex regulatory requirements, and document best practices in the maritime industry, as well as work with academic and private sector training entities to develop strategies for the U.S. maritime industry, including the inland, deep water, and coastal fleets.
Over the next six months, ABS and MARAD will work together to stand up the center along with its working groups and functions while establishing research priorities and associated projects. These activities will include a broad range of engagement opportunities with maritime industry stakeholders.
“This will be an important national resource to enable the U.S. maritime industry to respond to the rapid pace of change driven by decarbonization and digitalization.
“ABS is proud to have been selected to work with MARAD in launching and operating the center, which will research, develop, assess, demonstrate, and deploy emerging maritime technologies and practices, especially those related to emerging environmental challenges faced by the marine transportation system,” said Christopher Wiernicki, ABS Chairman and CEO.