Showcasing the University's expertise at London International Shipping Week

14 September 2023

London International Shipping Week is one of the most important international shipping and maritime events in the world. It has grown consistently – and rapidly – since its inception in September 2013, and creates a space where the varied elements from the shipping world can meet to discuss the range of challenges and opportunities it faces.

The week offers over 200 industry functions and unique networking opportunities for leaders across all sectors of the international shipping industry – regulators, charterers, ship owners, ship managers, bunker suppliers, lawyers, ship brokers, bankers, insurers, insurance brokers, commodity traders and brokers, ship suppliers, port operators, shipping service providers and many more.

The University of Plymouth has had an increasingly prominent presence at the event in recent years, showcasing its expertise in fields including clean maritime, maritime cyber security and maritime logistics to a global audience.

Below are details of some of the events, and announcements, that it has been part of during London International Shipping Week 2023.

The Global Maritime Trends 2050 report

Launched during an event at London International Shipping Week, the report calls on shipowners and other supply chain stakeholders to increase their ability to deal with significant changes and possible future scenarios that might impact the maritime sector. Mr Kevin Forshaw and Dr Stavros Karamperidis are among the key influencers featured in the report, alongside representatives from global organisations such as the United Nations, the Global Maritime Forum, and the Sustainable Shipping Initiative.

Developing the world’s largest network of electric workboats

The UK Government announced during London International Shipping Week that the Zero Emission Network of Workboats (ZENOW) project, in which the University is a key partner, has received £4.1 million in grant funding from the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) and Innovate UK as part of its Zero Emissions Vessels and Infrastructure competition (ZEVI). Researchers from the University will be carrying out data analysis on the new fleet of vessels, building on their extensive work across the clean maritime sector.

Helping the maritime sector advance its environmental commitments

Dr Stavros Karamperidis worked with colleagues at Kapodistrian University of Athens to develop a new environmental benchmarking system for the global shipping industry. The Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Index was officially launched at London International Shipping Week, as part of the Transparency in Shipping and Bunkering Forum being coordinated by legal firm Norton Rose Fulbright.

Participating in the Maritime UK AI Summit

Mr Kevin Forshaw, the current chair of Maritime UK South West, was among the speakers The Maritime UK AI Summit which was attended by cross-industry leaders, researchers, and innovators at the forefront of artificial intelligence in the maritime sector. The event aimed to explore and showcase the transformative potential of AI technologies in revolutionising the maritime industry and will include discussions around common AI misconceptions, opportunities to utilise AI across the sector, people and skills and will conclude with a panel discussion on safeguarding the human element in AI powered operations.

Demonstrating our clean maritime innovation

The Virtual Bunkering for Electric Vessels (VBEV) project, in which the University was a partner, was among those to have a stand at the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) 2 Showcase. Mrs Sarah Fear was among those in attendance to highlight the project, which was designed to engage with electric boat builders, marina operators, the local and national grid to develop a detailed business case and plan for a world first demonstrator of Virtual Bunkering for Electric Vessels using bi-directional chargers.

Highlighting the benefits of UK freeports

Mr Kevin Forshaw was among the panelists at the UK Freeport's Open for Business event, held during London International Shipping Week. He discussed the innovative projects and anticipated 4,000 jobs expected to be created in the logistics and advanced manufacturing sectors, alongside representatives from the Department for Business and Trade and industry bodies right across the UK. The event formed part of the Global Maritime Hub hosted by the Department of Business and Trade, Maritime UK and the Department of Transport.