Austal Ships Pty Ltd

There is an old adage that states that a repair yard can economically build new ships, but a new construction yard should never touch ship repair jobs. In my experience there is a lot of truth to that statement, and it does not mean that new construction yards are run by less capable people; it simply means that ship construction and ship repair and conversion are fundamentally different business models. Ship construction uses a script, while ship repair and conversion is improvisation. I will not drive the theater comparison completely home, but it has some validity. Improv actors can end up in major movies, but I am not aware of much movement in the other direction.

The Navy is a step closer to achieving the vision of being able to fabricate parts on demand. Xerox and the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) have announced a strategic research collaboration to advance 3D printing and additive manufacturing.As part of a Collaborative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between NPS and Xerox, a Xerox ElemX Liquid Metal Printer has been installed at the school’s Large Experiment Annex on campus. NPS is the first site anywhere in the world to install this new technology.“From the age of sail to the nuclear era, Sailors have been fixing things at sea so they can complete the mission, said NPS President retired Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau.

Earlier this year Newport Shipping unveiled what it is calls a “first of kind, innovative online portal” that was designed to ease the complexities of ship repair and retrofit works by leveraging the power of digitalization.As presented the NMS platform enables shipowners and fleet operators to obtain instant quotes for routine maintenance works, have real-time visibility of shipyard availability and get priority access to dry dock slots, all at the click of a mouse.  Subscribers to the NMS platform will have access to instant quotations for a wide range of routine maintenance and repair works

The lucrative prospect of transporting COVID-19 vaccines by sea has intensified the spotlight on the maritime industry’s cold supply chain and its ability to carry high-value pharmaceuticals.At present, speed to market is critical to stemming the spread of the pandemic, so the vaccines are being shipped by air to international destinations. Delivering them by sea is a longer-term strategy; certainly, the present urgency would have to calm considerably before enough confidence could be built to support delivery times in weeks, rather than hours.

The Mississippi State Port Authority (MSPA) Board of Commissioners has named Jon Nass the new CEO and executive director of the Port of Gulfport, following a national search led by Tim McNamara, head of Odgers Berndtson’s Transportation and Infrastructure Practice in Washington, D.C. His tentative start date is June 1.“After nearly an eight-month process, the MSPA Commission is very pleased to announce we have selected a new executive director to lead the Port of Gulfport team,” said MSPA President E.J. Roberts. “Jon’s extensive background includes port management, economic development, homeland security and policy advising, making him an ideal candidate to lead our state port.