Maritime Policy & Management

Next Generation Maritime Transformation: Policies, Technologies, and Practices

Overview:

The global maritime industry is experiencing unprecedented transformation, shaped by technological innovation, environmental imperatives, and shifting geopolitical dynamics. This transition extends beyond regulatory adaptation, encompassing national strategic initiatives, corporate business model innovation, and fundamental shifts in how maritime value chains operate.

Leading maritime nations are deploying comprehensive policy frameworks. Singapore’s Maritime Transformation Programme leverages S$100 million in innovation funding to nurture 140+ MarineTech startups, Norway’s Green Shipping Programme unites 100+ companies in collaborative innovation, and the European Union’s Blue Economy contributes €890 billion in turnover and 4.82 million jobs through integrated policy, investment, and partnership platforms. Meanwhile, the U.S. Maritime Dominance Executive Order exemplifies whole-of-government coordination for competitiveness.

Corporate strategies are equally transformative. Maersk’s evolution into integrated logistics, DP World’s repositioning as a service orchestrator, the 2025 restructuring of global shipping alliances, and the rapid growth of the maritime AI market (from $1.47 billion to $4.13 billion between 2023–2024) illustrate how firms are reimagining business models. The Digital Container Shipping Association’s industry-led standards covering 75% of global container trade and the rise of platform-based ecosystems highlight how management innovation is reshaping sectoral structures.

At the same time, emerging technologies such as autonomous vessels, artificial intelligence, quantum sensing, digital twins, alternative fuels, nuclear propulsion, and smart ports promise to redefine operations and governance. Yet integration across digitalisation, decarbonisation, and resilience remains incomplete. Gaps persist in liability frameworks, workforce transition, cybersecurity, financing, and societal acceptance. Policies are often fragmented, and corporate strategies face tensions between short-term performance pressures and long-term sustainability transitions.

Academic research has made important contributions, but often in isolation — focusing on governance, digitalisation, or sustainability without integrating them into a holistic picture. What is needed are perspectives that connect policy innovation, corporate strategy, and technological adoption into coherent frameworks that support a safe, green, and resilient maritime future.

This Special Issue therefore seeks contributions that explore the policies, technologies, and practices underpinning next-generation maritime systems. We particularly welcome interdisciplinary work bridging policy analysis, strategy, and management studies, providing insights into how the maritime sector is navigating this historic transformation.

Scope and Topics:

We invite original research, reviews, and case studies addressing next-generation maritime systems from the perspectives of policy, governance, strategy, and practice. Submissions may include, but are not limited to, the following themes:

Policy Innovation and Strategic Frameworks

• National maritime strategies (e.g., smart ports, shipbuilding, Maritime Silk Road).
• Innovation policies, funding mechanisms, and public–private partnerships.
• Market-based instruments (carbon pricing, green finance, emissions trading).
• International coordination, harmonisation, and multilateral initiatives.

Corporate Strategy and Business Model Innovation

• Strategic transformation of shipping, ports, and logistics firms.
• Alliance dynamics, restructuring, and competitive positioning.
• Platform business models and maritime ecosystems.
• Sustainability as a competitive advantage and corporate net-zero pathways.
• Strategic responses to crises and supply chain disruptions.

Technological Transformation in Practice

• Policies and governance of autonomous vessels, AI, blockchain, digital twins, and smart ports.
• Quantum sensing, communication, and computing applications in maritime governance.
• Data governance, cybersecurity, and industry-led standards.
• Human-centred autonomy and change management for digitalisation.

Sustainability and Energy Transitions

• Green corridors and decarbonisation strategies beyond compliance.
• Governance of alternative fuels (ammonia, hydrogen, methanol) and infrastructures.
• Nuclear propulsion and small modular reactors (SMRs): policy, safety, and acceptance.
• Circular economy approaches and ESG integration.
• Stakeholder engagement in green transition initiatives.

Risk, Safety, and Resilience

• Liability and accountability in automated, nuclear-powered, and quantum-enabled systems.
• Safety management in complex socio-technical systems.
• Experimental regulatory sandboxes and adaptive governance.
• Risk-sharing, insurance, and resilience strategies for systemic disruptions.

Human and Organisational Dimensions

• Workforce transformation, capability building, and training standards.
• Labour law, competency frameworks, and human–machine collaboration.
• Organisational culture and institutional capacity for change.

Society, Ethics, and Economy

• Public acceptance and trust in maritime innovations (AI, nuclear, quantum).
• Ethical frameworks for responsible innovation.
• Competition and trade policy in a digitalised and decarbonised sector.
• Socio-economic impacts of integrated digital, green, and resilient transitions.

This Special Issue is associated with the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) 2026 Conference, hosted by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. While linked to IAME 2026, submissions are welcomed from all researchers, including those who are not presenting at or registered for the conference.