The Directors of five regional Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres (MTCCs) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 4 December at IMO headquarters, to establish a global network of centres of excellence in marine technology.
The network of MTCCS – in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific – is the mainstay of the GMN maritime technology project, run by IMO and funded by the European Union. The GMN initiative unites carefully selected technology centres into a global network focused on supporting developing countries in activities including development of national energy-efficiency policies for their maritime sectors.
The MTCCs are expected to provide leadership in promoting ship energy-efficiency technologies and operations, and the reduction of harmful emissions from ships. Through collaboration and outreach activities at regional level, the MTCCs will help countries develop national maritime energy-efficiency policies and measures, promote the uptake of low-carbon technologies and operations in maritime transport and establish voluntary pilot data-collection and reporting systems.
“The GMN project brings together two of the most important themes that IMO and its member states are pursuing as we move into a new era. These are developing new and innovative technology and building the necessary capacity, the latter especially directed to the developing world, to be in a position to take up that technology and then use it to its best advantage,” IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said.
The GMN project supports IMO’s work in meeting three key UN Sustainable Development Goals:
- SDG 13, which includes a commitment to combat climate change and its impacts;
- SDG 7, which commits to ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all; and
- SDG 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure.
The GMN project also promotes international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, in particular energy-efficiency and advanced, cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and fosters investment in energy infrastructure and clean-energy technology.
Following the signing ceremony, MTCC Directors and other representatives from the MTCCS, as well as from the EU and IMO are meeting in the project steering committee.
On 7 December, the first meeting of the Global Stakeholders Committee will be held. The Global Stakeholders Committee brings together technical experts to share ideas and provide long-term strategic guidance to the project.
The five MTCCS are:
• MTCC-Africa – hosted by Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Mombasa, Kenya
• MTCC-Asia – hosted by Shanghai Maritime University, China
• MTCC-Caribbean – hosted by University of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago
• MTCC-Latin America – hosted by International Maritime University of Panama, Panama
• MTCC-Pacific – hosted by Pacific Community, Suva, Fiji
“Today, we live in a world in which new technology seems poised to have a transforming impact on all our lives. Shipping is no exception. Technology holds the key to a safer and more sustainable future for shipping,” Mr. Lim said.
