No ocean for old ships: robust design for a sustainable future of shipping

Ships are a crucial link in any production supply chain and provide up to 90% of all transport. However, ships are also a major contributor to GHG emissions, local emissions and contain many hazardous materials. To change this, we need to consider the full lifespan of the vessel, including its dismantling and the proper reuse of the materials used during construction. Legislation and policy are forcing us to reduce the negative impact of ships at a rapid pace. Technologies to support this are promising, but not yet fully developed. Furthermore, insight and data are lacking for determining the exact positive impact of a solution. As a result, there is much uncertainty about the future of vessels, and ship owners are looking for ways to deal with the future during the design phase of vessels, without losing their competitive edge today. To address this, Jeroen Pruijn, professor in Maritime Innovation of Kenniscentrum Duurzame Havenstad at the Rotterdam University of Applied Science, focuses on the development of a robust design approach for ships that are based on systems engineering. This will allow us to create future-ready ships with good performance both in the future and today, as well as investigate potential solutions.