DNV joins with Flag and Class leaders to launch Maritime Technologies Forum

DNV has joined with leading Flag States and Classification Societies to launch the Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF). The MTF will provide technical and regulatory research, expertise, and leadership to assist the shipping sector and its regulators address technology challenges.

The regulatory framework for the development and use of new technology must remain up to date to ensure advances assure the safety of people, assets and the environment. By bringing together expertise to offer guidance and advice on technical and regulatory challenges, the MTF will support the shipping industry and the International Maritime Organization to navigate and embrace the impact of these changes.

“The increased uptake of digital technologies and the push to decarbonize shipping represent tectonic shifts for the industry,” said Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO DNV Maritime and Leadership Member of the MTF Steering Committee. “This will involve a significant increase in the use of alternative fuels and a marked increase in ship complexity and the challenge to assess safety.”

“To support the industry through this transformation we need a new collaborative effort. One that can both offer expert advice and information from an independent perspective, while also supporting a regulatory environment that keeps pace with these technological advances. I believe the MTF can fill this vital role, and as a founding member DNV is committed to support the industry safely manage the transition.”

Key focus areas for the MTF will include energy efficiency, alternative fuels and autonomous ships. MTF members will collaborate on research and draw on their collective regulatory expertise to offer unbiased advice to the shipping sector including the IMO. The Forum’s work, comprising primarily of aggregated research, will be published via a dedicated website.

The founding members of the MTF are: American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), DNV, Japan’s Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), Lloyd’s Register (LR), Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA), and the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).

The MTF is run by a governing body that includes a representative from each of the founding members. This Steering Committee is responsible for making decisions and overseeing the work and direction of the MTF. A permanent working group has been set up that reports into the main governing body as well as a Secretariat to run the administration.

More information and a FAQ can be found on the MTF website: www.maritimetechnologiesforum.com