Maritime shipping and logistics
It is no coincidence that global metropoles are all directly connected through rivers, estuaries, seas and eventually oceans. Advancement in technology has introduced a number of techniques that ensures an upgrade in the overall operation of the shipping industry. Maritime infrastructure of the future requires new concepts, techniques, frameworks and tools. Ghent University knows how to set its sails to navigate into the future, due to our multidisciplinary expertise in naval architecture, offshore structures, ports and coastal infrastructure, expedition and maritime law.
Europe is one of the leading maritime centres in the world. Europe's ports are vital gateways, linking its transport corridors to the rest of the world. 74% of goods entering or leaving Europe go by sea, and Europe boasts some of the finest port facilities in the world. Ports play an equally important role to support the exchange of goods within the internal market and in linking peripheral and island areas with the mainland. Ports are not only great for moving goods around, they also constitute energy hubs for conventional and renewable energies. 400 million passengers embark and disembark in European ports every year. Ports generate employment; 1.5 million workers are employed in European ports, with the same amount again employed indirectly across the 22 EU maritime Member States.
The EU needs good performing ports across all its maritime regions. Bottlenecks in ports and their hinterland due to inadequate infrastructure or services can result in extra congestion, extra emission and extra costs for shippers, transport operators, consumers and society as a whole.
We provide knowledge and expertise on topics like:
- Maritime Law
- Maritime Transport Law
- Transport Insurance Law
- Port economics
- Ship technology
- Structural design of maritime structures
- Maritime safety and security
- Environmental standards
- Ship hydrodynamics
- Ship manoeuvring (in shallow and confined water)
- Estuary vessels
- Mooring of ships
- Smart technologies
