ISMDN presents the project progress at the Global Maritime Congress 2026

Prof. Osman Turan presented the first findings of the International Safer Maritime Decarbonisation Network at the Global Maritime Congress 2026 (GMC'26), held on 28 and 29 September in Türkiye, to an audience of 150 delegates. The session was moderated by Prof. Elif Bal Beşikçi of Istanbul Technical University, a core partner of the project.

The presentation, "Maritime Net-Zero Goals and Safety Challenges for International Shipping", set out the outcomes of the ISMDN UK Expert Workshop held at Lloyd's Register Headquarters in London in April 2026, where 26 experts from 14 organisations identified the research gaps and priorities for safe maritime decarbonisation.

The session then turned to the audience. In a live poll, nearly 100 participants, most of them seafarers and staff of maritime training institutions, shared their views on the UK findings and the challenges they face with alternative fuels.

The audience broadly confirmed the UK findings on safety, training and design. Participants placed particular weight on the need for training specific to the fuel, the vessel, and the trade, and on the safety risk of early alternative-fuel ships being handed over to less experienced operators. Self-assessed readiness to operate alternative-fuel ships and respond to fuel-related emergencies was low, and seven in ten participants had not yet worked directly with any alternative fuel. When asked to rank research priorities for Türkiye, participants placed port-specific bunkering safety and human factors in class, and flag guidance at the top.

The results will inform the ISMDN Safer Maritime Decarbonisation Roadmap and the preparation of the network's regional workshop in Istanbul in November 2026.

ISMDN thanks the GMC'26 organisers for hosting the session, Prof. Bal Beşikçi for moderating, and all participants for their contributions.