Ships make the world go round, from transporting raw goods to protecting international waters. Over 80% of the world’s goods are transported by sea, as it is the most efficient delivery method for huge quantities of cargo. On the other hand, naval forces maintain global stability, security and economic prosperity. Maintaining ships in top operational condition is critical to ensure the functioning of global trade, security, and humanitarian missions. Well-maintained vessels are fuel-efficient, reducing operational costs, and minimize environmental impact. Regular maintenance prevents accidents such as the Dali ship collision in Baltimore on March 26th this year and the Danish frigate Iver Huitfeldt in Milan on April 3rd. On March 26th, the Dali ship had lost power before veering off-course and crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge thus killing 6 construction workers. While the Danish frigate Iver Huitfeldt malfunctioned during its deployment to the red sea, a severe outage which compromised their munitions for 30 minutes. Regular inspections, repairs, and technological upgrades are vital for ships to operate in an efficient, safe, and sustainably support the global economy and security.

Technological upgrades for naval structures are crucial for enhancing operational efficiency, safety and assessments. It prevents accidents, where outdated technology or human error played a role. However, some elements of the naval architecture process remain the same due to it ultimately being governed by physics and engineering reality. Risk assessments has been made easier with the aid of digitisation such as AI and machine learning. One of those improvements is the ship modelling process. In an article by Asian Military Review, July 2024, Andy Kimber, a chief naval architect at BMT stated “Our ability to model those threats and what they do to the ships is much greater now. The systems we have to simulate how a ship reacts to damage from a threat are much more sophisticated,”. In maritime logistics, Advanced Machine Learning algorithms are utilized in improving voyage optimization. It offers maximum benefits for sustainable transport in terms of transportation stability, forecasting maintenance and repair, energy efficiency management and maritime security.

The Naval Architecture & Engineering Summit by Trueventus will discuss the intricate process and technological advances of ship construction, operation and engineering. Connect with industry leaders and subject experts to tune into diverse insights on the latest technology in ships.