Innovations in Maritime Technology and Engineering

Innovations in Maritime Technology and Engineering presents a collection of papers in two volumes from the 8th International Conference on Maritime Technology and Engineering (MARTECH 2026), held in Lisbon, Portugal, on 27–29 May 2026. MARTECH 2026 represents the eighth edition of an international conference series originating from a set of biannual national conferences in Portugal and has progressively evolved into a major international event, reflecting the increasing globalization of the maritime sector and its wide range of activities. This volume contains 183 peer-reviewed contributions, all evaluated by an International Scientific Committee, covering recent research and developments in maritime engineering and technology.

The two volumes focus on several key areas, including: Ship design – hydrodynamics, motions and waveloads, manoeuvring, propellers, energy efficiency, hydroelasticity, structures, composites, machinery and alternative fuels, small vessels, sensors and equipment; Autonomous surface vessels; Autonomous underwater vehicles; Shipbuilding and ship repair; Maritime transportation and ports; Ship operation – environmental perception, collision risk and avoidance, emissions, carbon capture; Renewable energy devices in ships; Offshore energy resources – photovoltaic, wind, hydrodynamics, waves; Marine environment; Fishing and aquaculture; Underwater noise. Overall, the proceedings provide a comprehensive overview of current innovations, research trends, and technological developments in the maritime sector.

The Proceedings in Marine Technology and Ocean Engineering series is dedicated to publishing the proceedings of peer-reviewed international conferences addressing a wide range of topics in “Marine Technology and Ocean Engineering”. The series currently includes the proceedings of several established conferences, such as the Marine Structures (MARSTRUCT) conferences, the Renewable Energies Offshore (RENEW) conferences, the Maritime Technology and Engineering (MARTECH) conferences, the International Conferences on Collision and Grounding of Ships (ICCGS), and those organized by the International Maritime Association of the Mediterranean (IMAM). The series is also open to additional conferences that focus on the sustainable exploration and utilization of marine resources across diverse fields. These fields include maritime transport and port operations, the use of the ocean and coastal areas, nautical activities, the exploration and exploitation of marine mineral resources, the protection of the marine environment and its resources, as well as risk analysis, safety, and reliability in marine systems. The primary aim of the series is to promote advanced education and professional training through the broad dissemination of high-quality scientific research and technological developments in marine and ocean engineering.

Carlos Guedes Soares is a Distinguished Professor of the Engineering School (Instituto Superior Técnico) of the University of Lisbon and Scientific Coordinator of the Centre for Marine Technology and Ocean Engineering (CENTEC). He concluded his postgraduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, in 1976, and at the Norwegian Institute of Technology of the University of Trondheim, in 1984 and has since then been at the University of Lisbon (Technical University of Lisbon until 2013). He has supervised more than 75 PhD IST students and co-supervised more than 60 foreign PhD students, and has about 50,000 citations in the Web of Science. He has been Chair or Co-Chair of various conferences in the OMAE, ESREL, IMAM, ISSC, ICCGS, MARSTRUCT, MARTECH, and RENEW series. He has been Editor of the Reliability Engineering and Systems Reliability Journal for about 30 years, the last 10 of which as Editor-in-Chief. He is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Marine Science & Application, Journal of Reliability Science and Engineering and Autonomous Transportation Research Journal. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of more than 15 indexed Journals. He is a Fellow of SNAME, RINA, IMarEST, ASME and the Portuguese Engineering Association (Ordem dos Engenheiros). He is also a Member of the Portuguese Academy of Engineering, a Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, and an International Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He is the Chairman of WEGEMT, the European Association of Universities in Marine Technology (40 Universities).

Francisco Cunha Salvado is a practicing Naval Architect and Marine Engineer, with near 40 years of experience in many domains of the field such as ship design, ship maintenance, project management, shipyard management. He concluded its postgraduate studies in the University College London, UK 1990 and completed a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal 2017. He has been lecturing in the Integrated Masters Course in Mechanical Engineering of Universidade Nova for about 23 years In parallel he has been following his career as naval officer, being a Naval Constructor Engineer in the Portuguese Navy, having being appointed to many diverse functions, the most relevant being Director of Ships (the main technical directorate of the Navy) and member of the board of management of Arsenal, SA (the main shipyard of the navy). For 9 years he has been Board Advisor of the company West Sea Viana Shipyards. He has also lectured for 6 years in the Naval Academy. He is currently the President of College of Naval and Ocean Engineering of Ordem dos Engenheiros. He is also a member of the Portuguese Society of Geography and the West Maritime Technology Conference, where he is responsible for organizing the next conference to take place in Lisbon 2027.