Search

The present situation of economic recession is negatively affected the development of maritime trades, causing a considerable slow down in the shipbuilding sector. I will first draw Your attention to some aspects of the situation, taking then into consideration some reactions arising among shipowners and shipbuilders and leading to the production of new, more complex and more flexible ships. These ships can meet the many different market requirements and can operate more profitably even in the most difficult economic situations. In the ‘60s and in ‘70s we saw the beginning and the development of container-ships, roll-on/roll-off, supertankers, bulk-carriers, etc..; such units were required by a fast growing market, which called for ships of great speed and capacity, suitable to carry specific cargo from areas of high output to zones of high consumption. A partial fall in demand does not deny the present, through diminished of those units. Nevertheless this drop leads shipowners to call for ships which can easily carry different cargoes. Therefore conbulk, condock, ro-ro/lo-lo of many different types, oil products/chemical carriers, etc.. are being built. Both new and more traditional ships are provided with equipment, engine and building innovations; I will touch upon them in the four following points, concerning : 1) cutting down operating costs; 2) increasing ship’s flexibility; 3) increasing shipping security; 4) promoting environmental protection. New forms of maritime transport, some of which more futurist, are being studied, while new systems of shipping propulsion and engineering are being carried out. I will now outline some projects which, in my view, are worth carrying out, at the same time providing their operational pros and cons.