The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is inviting maritime technology providers to submit entries to the IMO CARES (Coordinated Actions to Reduce Emissions from Shipping) Maritime Technology Global Challenge, which is designed to accelerate the identification and deployment of innovative decarbonization solutions for ports and domestic vessels in Africa and the Caribbean.
Technology providers from around the world can enter the Challenge and showcase their market-ready solutions to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the maritime sector in selected developing countries in Africa and the Caribbean: Namibia, St Kitts and Nevis, as well as Trinidad and Tobago. A fourth country will be announced in the coming weeks.
"Technology application is a vital part of the global maritime decarbonization transition and will help to ensure that every country is empowered to move towards a low carbon future," says Anton Rhodes, Project Manager, IMO Department of Partnerships and Projects. "The IMO CARES Maritime Technology Global Challenge will ensure that domestic shipping and ports in the four target countries will receive technical proposals for mature green technologies that address their specific needs – and can be applied to other countries in the region that are facing similar issues. This Challenge will bolster the adoption of green technologies in both regions and support a just and equitable maritime transition."
Entering the competition
The Challenge was launched via a virtual event (22 November) featuring speakers from the IMO CARES team as well as representatives from the Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres (MTCCs) in Africa and the Caribbean.
The competition is now open for submissions via the IMO CARES website. Entries are accepted until 18:00 (UTC) on Sunday 7 January 2024. The winners will be selected by an independent judging panel consisting of representatives from the regional MTCCs, academic bodies and other IMO Cares stakeholders. The results will be announced at end-January 2024. The winners will be expected to submit their final proposals by April 2024.
Up to four winning technology providers will be selected by an expert panel and will receive funding of USD $15,000 to $30,000 to develop bespoke technical proposals for the implementation of their solutions in the specific countries. A document outlining the submission guidance and technical overview of the beneficiary countries can be found here.
Additional funds of approximately $500,000 may be made available at a later stage for the demonstration of the winning technologies in each participating country, under the Global MTCC Network (GMN) project, which is funded by the European Union.
An online introduction to the Challenge key components took place in July 2023, Representatives from the Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres (MTCCs) in Africa and the Caribbean shared information about decarbonization aspirations and challenges in these regions. The recording is available here.
Addressing the Technology Gap
The Maritime Technology Global Challenge is a cornerstone of the IMO CARES project, a comprehensive initiative aimed at supporting developing countries in achieving the IMO's energy efficiency and GHG reduction targets.
The project places a strong emphasis on supporting climate-vulnerable countries, particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), which face unique challenges in transitioning to a low-carbon operations and are vulnerable to the impact of climate change.
The IMO CARES project is funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and is implemented by the IMO. The project aims to coordinate and link various global initiatives to accelerate the decarbonization process of the maritime sector in developing countries.