The world is small
The management of modern ships has changed industry-wide with new fuel options, digital equipment, sonar navigation technologies and real-time satellite communications. It may sound like a brave new world, but the most important element remains people. We must keep training, teaching and testing seafarers and crew members because shipping accidents must never happen!
This edition features Anglo-Eastern Ship Management and its CEO Bjørn Højgaard. The Hong Kong-based company has experienced tremendous growth under the leadership of naval officer and captain Højgaard. We have been covering the industry since 1996 and it is always inspiring to find leaders with his expertise.
Speaking of smart people, Sankar Ragavan, CEO of MariApps Marine Solutions, is the subject of this issue’s Executive Achievement feature. Ragavan, an IT intelligence professional working at a ship management company, realized that a web-based and mobile app to manage data and people was missing. So he developed one and founded MariApps, part of the Bernhard Schulte Group, to market it. The rest, as they say, is history.
In the meantime, our regular columnists have been busy getting to the bottom of things. Editor-in-chief Jack O’Connell provides an update on the cruise industry and his recent travels in Cruise Mania. View from the EU columnist Erik Kravets delights with his analysis of Europe’s immigration crisis and the involvement of shipping in it, and Eye on Energy guru Allen Brooks puts his finger on a previously ignored and unrecognised problem – the crucial role of shipping in transporting important minerals needed for the energy transition. Enjoy!
In our annual Academies & Institutes feature, Captain Chad Fuhrmann says the industry is struggling to find and retain qualified seafarers, and training schools are rising to the challenge. A must-read. In Trusted Partners, News Editor Paul Benecki examines ship management and finds that owners are increasingly relying on advanced third-party companies to manage their fleets and crews.
On the technology side, Associate Editor Allan Jordan’s maritime software article is aptly titled “Delivering on the Promise.” And by popular demand, we’ve added a new annual post on the important topic of Al, written by Sean Hogue, another captain. Lots of intellectual capital to digest!
Rounding out this jam-packed issue is Sean Holt’s astute analysis of the pros and cons of ammonia as a marine fuel, Pat Zeitler’s examination of shipping registers, and Tom Peters’ report on general cargo ports, which – like pretty much everything else in shipping – are doing well.
From the Bridge is full of memorable quotes and fun facts from the articles in this issue, so don’t miss it.
Enjoy the rest of the summer and thanks for your continued readership and support!
Tony Munoz is publisher and editor-in-chief of The Maritime Executive
To read the latest issue of the magazine, go to The Maritime Executive July/August 2024 Maritime Education and Training EditionTo subscribe to the magazine, please go to https://www.maritime-executive.com/subscribe.
The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.
