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Sunday, June 21, 2026

Maritime Risk News

03 Jun 2026

MRS '26: Managing Maritime Risk in a Dynamic Geopolitical Environment

Marco Ayala speaks on Day 1 of MRS 2026. Panel led by Scott Blough, Google. Image courtesy Rob Crane

The Maritime Risk Symposium is ongoing today in Pasadena, Texas, and annual event which moves location and convenes thought leaders across government, industry and academia to assess trends and threats to the evolving maritime landscape; offer operational insights to enhance resilience from disruptions, and advance solutions through merging technologies.Day 2 MRS 26 first panel of the day on shipbuilding. Image courtesy Rob CraneUSCG RDML Amy Grable speaks on risk and its role in the maritime transportation system…

12 May 2026

VADM (Ret) White Named Keynote Speaker for MRS ‘26

Sam Houston State University (SHSU), the Institute for Homeland Security (IHS), and the Organizing Committee of the Maritime Risk Symposium 2026 (MRS2026) announced that U.S. Navy Vice Admiral (Retired) T.J. White, Chief of Texas Cyber Command, will deliver a keynote address at this year’s event. MRS2026 will be held at LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy, & Technology at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Texas, U.S.A. (greater Houston-Galveston area).Click here to register for MRS2026Chief White…

01 May 2026

Gulf Coast Shipbuilding is the Anchor for America’s Maritime Comeback

Design work is under way for Port Alpha, a greenfield “next-generation shipyard”.
Image courtesy Saronic Technologies

The future of shipbuilding and maritime competitiveness will be featured at the Maritime Risk Symposium 2026, hosted by the Institute for Homeland Security, Sam Houston State University. On June 2–3, 2026 at LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy and Technology in Pasadena, Texas, leaders from industry and academia will examine the strategy, workforce, investment, and partnerships needed to advance America’s maritime comeback.A new era in American shipbuilding is emerging, and the U.S. Gulf Coast stands at its center.

24 Nov 2025

Student Research Poster Contest Opens for MRS 2026

CALL FOR STUDENT  RESEARCH POSTERS!The 16th Annual Maritime Risk Symposium invites undergraduate and graduate students from colleges and  universities worldwide to participate in the 2026 Maritime Risk Symposium Student Research Poster  Contest. The poster competition, sponsored by the CCICADA Center based at Rutgers University, will be  held online with winners invited to present their posters at the Maritime Risk Symposium on June 2-3, 2026  in Houston, Texas, USA. The Maritime Risk Symposium…

10 Jun 2025

Shadow and Dark Fleets: Increasing Size and Concerns

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Global insurer Allianz Commercial recently issued its 2025 Safety & Shipping Review, examining maritime risk trends and losses. The report revealed that the shipping industry has made significant improvements when it comes to maritime safety in recent years. During the 1990s the global fleet was losing 200+ vessels a year. This total had halved 10 years ago and is now down to a record low of 27 as of the end of 2024 (from 35 in 2023).Despite the ongoing trend for fewer large losses, challenges remain.

19 Jan 2025

The Five Greatest Risks Facing the World in 2025

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The Global Risks Report 2025, produced by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Marsh McLennan and Zurich Insurance Group, finds that nearly two-thirds of over 900 surveyed experts anticipate a turbulent decade ahead.The top five risks identified are:State-based armed conflict: Wars in Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan have brought unprecedented instability, propelling armed conflict to the top of the global risk list. This issue, ranked ninth last year, now holds the number one spot…

14 May 2024

U.S. National Maritime Strategy in the Spotlight @ MRS '24

Image William A. Morgan - stock.adobe.com

The Maritime Risk Symposium will convene in Monteray, CA next month, a small conference with a high-profile speaker line-up from across government, industry and academia. Here we look at Panel 3 – Maritime Policy vis a vis a new National Maritime Strategy, facilitated byCAPT Jon Kaskin, US Navy Reserve (retired)This panel will inform participants and generate discussion regarding the forthcoming National Maritime Strategy (NMS). Congress originally mandated that the NMS be developed…

07 May 2024

Adversarial Seas: AI and the Evolving Cyber Threat in Maritime

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The maritime transportation system, the lifeblood of global trade, is undergoing a digital revolution. Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming how ships operate and cargo moves. However, this increased reliance on technology creates a double-edged sword: while AI offers powerful tools for cybersecurity, it also presents new vulnerabilities to exploit. This article explores the growing threat of adversarial AI (AAI) in maritime cyber security and how the industry…

02 May 2024

Arctic in Focus at MRS '24

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At the Maritime Risk Symposium 2024, scheduled for June 11-13 at Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, RADM Matt Bell, USCG (Ret.) facilitates a panel entitled: Multi-Service and Maritime Industry Collaboration in the Arctic, to better understand how the changing dynamics in the Arctic region will necessitate increased collaboration between the maritime services and industry to mitigate the risks of Arctic maritime operations. Joining RADM Bell on the panel are:RADM Megan Dean, Commander, U.S.

17 Apr 2024

MRS '24 - Panel 5: Identifying Risk, Measuring Success in the "Gray Zone"

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The Maritime Risk Symposium is an annual three-day conference in which government and maritime industry leaders, port representatives, researchers, and solution providers convene to examine current and emerging threats to maritime security. MRS2024 is scheduled to take place June 11-13 2024 at Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, CA.A look @ Panel 5: Facilitator: Eric “Coop” Cooper, CAPT, USCG (retired)This panel will inform participants and generate discussion to improve understanding of the risk of gray zone activities pose to the economy…

17 Apr 2024

Maritime Risk Symposium 2024 – Great Power Competition and Gray Zone Engagement

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For 15 years the Maritime Risk Symposium (MRS), an annual three-day event, has brought together government and maritime industry leaders, port representatives, international and domestic researchers and solution providers to examine current and emerging threats to maritime security. World events highlight that maritime security is increasingly at risk during the current period of great-power competition and ongoing conflicts. The active competition between nations who are not…

28 Aug 2023

14th Annual Maritime Risk Symposium to be Held Nov. 14-16 at SUNY Maritime

The 2023 Maritime Risk Symposium (MRS) will be held Nov. 14-16, 2023, as an in-person event, hosted by Maritime College, State University of New York (SUNY) at the Maritime Academic Center. The theme of the 14th annual event is “Managing Impacts of Supply Chain Disruptors, Renewable Energy, Emerging Technology on the Maritime Transportation System (MTS)” with a focus on offshore infrastructure risk and disruptors. Founded in 1874, Maritime College is the oldest maritime college in the United States, providing mariner training for 150 years.

18 Jan 2023

Allianz: Top 5 Risks in Marine & Shipping

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Allianz, a global commercial insurer, just released its 2023 Risk Barometer, which shows how 2,712 risk management experts from 94 countries ranked the top corporate risks. While the report offers insights on perceived global business risks in general, it also offers insights by industry sector. MarineLink's readers will be interested to see what's most important in "Marine and Shipping" in 2023, as shared by Allianz. The number one risk in "Marine and Shipping" in 2023 is "Fire…

15 Dec 2022

ClassNK Journal Outlines Maritime Risk Management

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ClassNK has released the latest "ClassNK Technical Journal”, which has been published for contributing to the development of the maritime industry through the outcome of R&D and technical activities.The latest issue, “ClassNK Technical Journal No.6 2022 (II)” features how to deal with risk, including articles on risk assessment in the maritime sector, the concept of vulnerability which contributes to developing a new framework that supports the social implementation of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship (MASS), and fundamentals and applications for risk-based ship design.In addition, it also inc

11 Nov 2022

Maritime Risk Symposium: Full Program Released

Image courtesy MRS 2022

The 2022 Maritime Risk Symposium (MRS), scheduled to be held Nov. 15-17, 2022, hosted by Argonne National Laboratory at the Argonne campus in Lemont, Illinois, recently unveiled the full conference program, packed with experts with insights on the challenges facing the inland waterway systems.Click here to read the fulll program for MRS 2022MRS is an annual international event focused on risks involving the global maritime transportation system (MTS). For the MRS, the U.S. Coast Guard partners with the sponsor…

31 Oct 2022

Training the Next Generation of Maritime Cyber Warriors

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The 2022 Maritime Risk Symposium scheduled to be held November 15-17, 2022, hosted by Argonne National Laboratory, will feature a panel discussion entitled "Training the Next Generation of Maritime Cyber Warriors."The cyber threats to the maritime environment are increasing in scope and magnitude while the talent stream struggles to keep up. This panel will address some of the innovative ways in which the next generation of cyber warriors are being prepared by expanding experiential learning through directed practical experience.

24 Oct 2022

Inland Waterways in Focus: Balancing Maintenance and Operational Requirements

Aerial view of locks and dam on Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois, USA. Copyright Kent/AdobeStock

The integrity of the marine transportation system as a key plank in a country's economic prosperity is in heightened focus today, with logistics snarls contributing to fast rising inflation. Maintaining the integrity of the vast U.S. inland waterway system - with more than 12,000 miles of inland and intracoastal waterways including 218 lock chambers at 176 sites - is the focus of the Maritime Risk Symposium 2022, a 2.5-day conference scheduled for November 15-17, hostd by Argonne National Laboraty's TCS Conference Center.On Wednesday, November 16, 2022, James P.

03 Oct 2022

Lithium-ion Batteries: Fire Risks and Loss Prevention Measures in Shipping

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About the Author: Captain Rahul Khanna is Global Head of Marine Risk Consulting at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty. A marine professional with 26 years of experience within the Shipping and Maritime industry, Captain Khanna served more than 14 years on board merchant ships in all ranks, including Master of large oil tankers trading worldwide. Although shipping losses have more than halved over the past decade fires on board vessels remain among the biggest safety issues for the maritime industry.

13 Jun 2022

Maritime Risk Symposium 2022: The Importance of Inland Systems to the MTS

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The theme of Maritime Risk Symposium (MRS) 2022 is “The Importance of Inland Systems to the MTS.” The global MTS consists of numerous inland networks that connect the major transnational and inland ports. The United States has more than 25,000 miles of navigable waters, which can carry around 630 million tons of cargo annually. Barges carry the bulk of the commodities on the inland river networks while freighters carry the commodities on the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway. About 60 percent of the U.S. farm exports travel through inland waterways.

09 Dec 2021

Insurance Insights: Larger Vessels, Larger Exposures

Photo courtesy Boskalis

The blocking of the Suez Canal by one of the largest container ships in service in the world – the Ever Given – in March 2021 caused huge delays to hundreds of vessels waiting to transit the canal, one of the biggest chokepoints on the critical East/West trade shipping route. The blockage was estimated to have affected an estimated $9.6bn of goods each day, or around 12% of total world trade.The latest in a growing list of incidents involving large vessels, the Ever Given has…

09 Aug 2021

"Early Bird" Registration for 2021 Maritime Risk Symposium ends soon

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The University of Houston’s College of Technology will host the 12th Annual Maritime Risk Symposium (MRS 2021), in collaboration with the National Academy of Sciences, from November 2-4, 2021, at the at the University of Houston’s Student Center-South.The Maritime Risk Symposium is an annual three-day conference in which government and maritime industry leaders, port representatives, researchers, and solution providers convene to examine current and emerging threats to maritime security.

13 Jul 2021

Registration Open for the 2021 Maritime Risk Symposium

The University of Houston’s College of Technology will host the 12th Annual Maritime Risk Symposium (MRS 2021), in collaboration with the National Academy of Sciences, from November 2-4, 2021, at the at the University of Houston’s Student Center-South.The Maritime Risk Symposium is an annual three-day conference in which government and maritime industry leaders, port representatives, researchers, and solution providers convene to examine current and emerging threats to maritime security.

19 Jan 2021

Pandemic-Related Risks Top the List for 2021, says 10th Allianz Risk Barometer

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Business interruption, pandemic outbreak and cyber incidents -- three separate but 'strongly interlinked' matters -- lead the pack as the top threats to maritime in 2021, according to the 10th Allianz survey on risk in the maritime sector.The maritime industry, on its best day, is fraught with risk, as people, machinery and the bulk of world trade regularly traverses some of the most perilous conditions on the planet. According to the 10th Allianz Risk Barometer 2021 for the sector…