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Ports and Maritime Industry

Shipping and port operations generate numerous problems for the marine environment whilst marine pollution in all its forms presents a challenge. The maritime industry also faces economic, social and legislative pressures to deliver more sustainable transport solutions.

Protection of the marine environment whilst integrating sustainable commercial and operational objectives is a growing area of research and innovation. 

Research in this theme is on the development and implementation of technical and operational innovations to improve environmental performance and energy efficiency. Research areas include low energy ship design and construction, green fuels and electric propulsion systems, and e-navigation technologies to provide decision support reducing energy consumption, collision prevention, and piracy detection.

We apply operational research techniques such as computer simulation, analytical optimisation, and data analytics to improve port systems and logistics operations. New areas of research are rapidly developing around ‘big data’, smart equipment and sensors, and automation. 

The concept of “green ports” has been developed to mitigate the impacts of port operations on environment. Global research in this area aims to develop a new assessment model for quantitative measurement of green ports based on the Drivers, Pressures, States, Impacts and Responses (DPSIR) framework. 

Back to: Liverpool Institute for Sustainable Coasts and Oceans