Novel Maritime Techniques and Technologies, and Their Safety

Dear Colleagues,

Our reliance on safe maritime transportation of goods was highlighted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when significant goods and services were disrupted due to shortages within their supply chains. Aside from this challenge, society, in general, is striving to cope with serious climate change events, which additionally emphasizes novel procedures and technologies found in the maritime domain, with the aim of allowing the industry to become more environmentally efficient.

Some of these procedures include changes in navigational operations, such as weather routing, for example. Other advances include alternative propulsive methods such as wind-assisted ship propulsion, or relevant add-ons such as air lubrication solutions. Ship electrification technologies also underline significant options for some vessel types, which can benefit from fuel cells and batteries. Not less importantly, there is a relevant line of work with regard to Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS). All of the above and other novel trends, despite highlighting benefits in terms of reliance, resilience, and operational and environmental efficiency, impose new safety risks. These new risks also require thorough investigation and assessment, which can lead to the design of novel models and frameworks for risk avoidance and mitigation.

This Special Issue aims to address innovative and creative topics and attempts to improve reliance, resilience, environmental efficiency, but also safety within the maritime domain, with a view to cover new techniques and technologies being currently trialed or applied in the maritime industry.

Research topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Literature review related to novel maritime techniques and technologies;
• Technical advances on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), and their safety;
• Research on technologies or retrofitting options for attempting climate neutrality within maritime transport;
• Alternative fuels and e-fuels, and their current infrastructure status within ports and shipyards;
• Best practice and guidance on the application of greening technologies for the maritime domain.

Dr. Eduardo Blanco-Davis
Prof. Dr. Zaili Yang
Dr. Milad Armin
Dr. Sean Loughney
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.