University contributes to major report examining changes needed in the global maritime industry

Kevin Forshaw and Dr Stavros Karamperidis are among the experts who have directly influenced the Global Maritime Trends 2050 report
Hamburg Cargo terminal. Image courtesy of Getty Images.  
The University of Plymouth’s expertise in clean maritime, advancing technology and shipping operations has directly influenced a major new report into the future challenges facing the global maritime industry.
In the Global Maritime Trends 2050 report, Lloyd’s Register and Lloyd’s Register Foundation call on shipowners and other supply chain stakeholders to increase their ability to deal with significant changes and possible future scenarios.
Launched during London International Shipping Week, the report was developed through a pragmatic literature review and 16 in-depth interviews with maritime policy and industry professionals.
Those experts include representatives from globally significant organisations such as the United Nations, the Global Maritime Forum, the Sustainable Shipping Initiative and other industries and industry bodies.
They also include Mr Kevin Forshaw , Director of Industrial and Strategic Partnerships, and Dr Stavros Karamperidis , Head of the Maritime Transport Research Group, at the University of Plymouth.
Mr Forshaw, also the current chair of Maritime UK South West, highlights significant recent advances in shipping technology and the importance of ensuring those are protected, solutions the University is pioneering through its research in maritime cyber security and marine autonomy.
Dr Karamperidis, who earlier this week launched a new environmental benchmarking framework for the global shipping industry, speaks in the report about the importance of trade facilitation that is needed to maintain a healthy maritime transport sector.

I am delighted that two University of Plymouth maritime experts are contributors to the Global Maritime Trends 2050 research programme. The Global Trends reports are always highly important and influential considerations of our marine and maritime futures.

Judith Petts DBEProfessor Dame Judith Petts DBE
Emeritus Professor

The Global Maritime Trends 2050 report was authored by Economist Impact and is the first in a series of ‘deep dive’ reports that will examine what is needed to create a safe and sustainable maritime sector.
The report’s authors analysed the likely future scenarios for shipping in 2050, based on the speed of technology adoption and the level of global collaboration, to help the industry forecast risks, opportunities, and required investment.
They also identified a number of significant changes likely to impact the global shipping industry over the next three decades, including:
  • Some of the world’s largest ports becoming unusable due to sea level rises;
  • African nations becoming dominant sources of labour supply to the industry;
  • Women making up 25% of seafaring workforce by 2050 due to technological advancements.
Ruth Boumphrey, CEO of the Lloyd's Register Foundation, said:
“Shipping is deeply intertwined with geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges. Ships deliver 80% of the world’s trade and disruptions are felt acutely across the globe. Amid global supply chain uncertainties, the urgent need to decarbonise, the integration of new technologies, concerns about human rights and safety at sea, and the future of labour supplies, it’s crucial that those in the shipping industry do everything in their power to anticipate, mitigate, and overcome these challenges without causing harm elsewhere.”
 

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