| SHIPPINGInsight News July 16, 2026 |
| STRONGER TOGETHER |
Beginning in 2024, there has been a growing movement to revitalize our maritime industry. In February of that year, I co-authored ZERO POINT FOUR along with RADM Jim Watson, Rich Mason, Captain Anuj Chopra, Nishan Degnarain, and Jonathan Kempe. Our book laid out the relationship between maritime security (currently 0.4% of the international cargo fleet is US flag) and national, economic, energy, climate and workforce security. Having met with all four framers of the first SHIPS ACT, we would like to believe that our book helped frame the legislation.
With the awareness about the US vulnerabilities surrounding our lack of a robust maritime industry building, last year we produced “Revitalizing the US Maritime Industry” during National Maritime Week in Washington DC. Given the urgency of the subject, and the current administration’s stated intent to reverse our nation’s decline, I pivoted SHIPPINGInsight’s focus last year in Houston to address this topic. The day after the conference, we held an invitation-only Leadership Roundtable to synthesize the information shared during our conference which became the subject of a white paper written by Dr. Beatriz Canamary of SuRe Strategy.
The collection of people working together on this topic- RADM Jim Watson, Darren Shelton- Mr. Houston, Dr. Canamary, Jonathan Chia, and Rachel McCloskey– realized we needed to organize to advance this mission, so we formed AMIC- American Maritime Industrial Coalition with a goal to strengthen the US maritime industrial base through facilitation and coordination.
Just in the past year, the current administration has issued the Maritime Action Plan, and MARAD’s Captain Stephen Carmel has been consistently vocal about building a maritime SYSTEM, which incorporates all of the elements necessary for success.
AMIC is committed to supporting and CATALYZING THE US MARITIME INDUSTRY TO ACTION. AMIC members form the framework of SHIPPINGInsight’s conference in Houston on October 13th, as well as the Leadership Roundtable the following day. The output from these discussions will be a document called PROJECT 2027.
Join us! It’s time for our industry to be stronger together…
Carleen Lyden Walker
Chief Evolution Officer
SHIPPINGInsight
IMO Goodwill Maritime Ambassador
+1 203 255 4686 (o)
+1 203 260 0480 (m)
c.walker@shippinginsight.com
www.shippinginsight.com
Industry News
China Follows SpaceX’s Lead with Reusable-Booster Landing Barge – China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) has passed a key milestone towards cheap, plentiful orbital launch services: it can now do at-sea retrieval for used booster rockets. On July 10, a Long March 10B rocket took off from a launch site at Wenchang, the first time that this kerosene/liquid oxygen…Read more here.
USCG releases 5th “Cyber Trend and Insights” report – U.S. Coast Guard Cyber Command released its fifth annual Cyber Trends and Insights in the Marine Environment (CTIME) report. The U.S. Coast Guard continues its commitment to securing critical systems in the Marine Transportation System (MTS) by collaborating …Read more here.
TOTE Wins U.S. Navy’s First Vessel Construction Manager Contract – TOTE Services, which pioneered the idea of a third-party construction manager for U.S. government shipbuilding programs, has won the U.S. Navy’s first-ever VCM award. TOTE will supervise construction of the future Medium Landing Ship (LSM) program at two Navy-selected yards, Bollinger… Find out the rest here.
US Navy Issued RFIs to Korean Shipbuilders for Destroyers and Oilers– The United States Navy has formally requested information from South Korea’s leading shipbuilders regarding their capabilities to quickly build destroyers and oilers, according to media reports in Korea. The Korean news agency Yonhap revealed that the U.S. Navy had issued requests for information last month, marking the first formal requests… Find out the rest here.
Video: U.S. Forces Use Unmanned Bomb Boat to Attack Iranian Shipyard – U.S. forces have used modern one-way attack drones in combat for the first disclosed time, according to U.S. Central Command, bringing tactics pioneered by Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Ukraine’s intelligence agencies into the playbook of the world’s best-funded military power. On Sunday, three Saronic Corsair… Find out the rest here.
Partner Spotlight
Would you like to be a part of SHIPPINGInsight’s PROJECT 2027?
Partnering with SHIPPINGInsight places your organization at the center of the conversations shaping the future of the maritime industry. Through year-round events, leadership opportunities, and direct engagement with decision-makers across shipping, technology, and the maritime industrial base, partners gain meaningful visibility while helping drive innovation and action. Join us in connecting ideas, fostering collaboration, and advancing solutions for a stronger, more resilient maritime future.
