Setting Course, an ABS Podcast

Smart technologies promise better decisions and fewer surprises at sea, but turning that promise into day-to-day practice is where the real work begins. In this episode of Setting Course, Panos Kyrtatos, CEO of Propulsion Analytics, and Eric VanDerHorn, Director of Technology at ABS, join host Brad Cox to explore how smart technologies are actually making a difference across today’s fleets. They c...

Floating gas has moved well beyond the concept stage, but that does not mean the next wave of projects will be straightforward. As developers look at shallow-water, nearshore and harsher-environment applications, questions around mooring, stationkeeping, disconnectability and project viability start to matter in a different way. In this episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast , recorded live at...

Evolving sea ice conditions haven’t made sailing in the Arctic any simpler. If anything, increasingly complex ice regimes, year-round operations and new trade patterns are raising the stakes for shipowners who need to keep people, assets and schedules safe in some of the harshest waters on the planet. In this episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, Rob Hindley of Railotech (formerly Aker Arctic...

The floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) sector is still relatively small, but it’s growing fast as demand for natural gas, flexibility and new technologies reshape offshore project strategies. In this episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, host Brad Cox talks with Kyle Haberberger from Black & Veatch and Terrance Roberts from ABS about where FLNG is taking off, how it compares with tradi...

Change in the maritime industry is moving fast. Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, brings you candid conversations with the leaders shaping that change. Join us as we go beyond the headlines and into what actually matters to the industry's decision-makers, discussing the latest in maritime innovation, sustainability and safety. Follow the show wherever you get your podcasts to never miss an epis...

While additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, offers transformative potential for the marine and offshore industries, broad adoption will require trust and buy-in from key stakeholders. In this episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, Conrad Kao, Director of Additive Manufacturing for Howco Group, and Michael Kei, Vice President of Technology for ABS, joined host Brad Cox to discuss t...

Imagine a future where humanoid robots work side by side with shipbuilders, enhancing efficiency and safety in the maritime industry. In this episode, Persona AI CEO and Co-Founder Nic Radford joined Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President and CTO, to discuss the potential for humanoid robotics in shipyards. Hosted by Brad Cox, the episode was recorded at the Ion Innovation District in Houston, TX...

The development of electrification and battery technologies is driving new efficiencies for the maritime industry, especially for short-range vessels like tugs and ferries. In this episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, Olli Tuunainen, Local Business Line Manager for ABB’s Marine and Ports Division in Singapore, and YunTao Chen, head of the ABS Global Electrification Center in Singapore, joine...

In this episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, we dive into the world of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and their impact on maritime operations — from commercial to research to national security.  Featuring insights from retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral and current Saildrone President John Mustin, ABS Senior Vice President of Global Engineering Gareth Burton, and ABS Director of Government Eng...

In this episode, Senior Project Manager Konstantinos Vouroutzis and Sustainability Engineer Tim Badalotti join host Brad Cox to explore the latest findings from the seventh edition of the ABS Outlook series, Beyond the Horizon: Vision Meets Reality. As lead authors, Vouroutzis and Badalotti, discuss the maritime industry’s ambitious emission goals and the market realities that challenge these targ...

As regulations and economic considerations continue to shape the future of the maritime industry, energy efficiency technologies (EETs) have emerged as a key avenue to mitigating higher fuel costs and reducing emissions. In this episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, Oliver Woodard, Sales Director for Silverstream Technologies, and Jessie Wilson, Manager of the ABS Houston Sustainability Cente...

With the demand for methanol as a marine fuel expected to grow rapidly over the coming years, can green methanol production scale enough to help shipowners comply with evolving regulations? Join us in this episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, as we bring together leaders from across the methanol value chain to discuss the growing methanol-ready fleet, scaling production, reducing fuel costs,...

Hydrogen’s potential as an alternative energy source reaches well beyond marine fuel applications. It also has potential for on-land commercial energy and in energy-intensive industrial operations. As such, the transportation of hydrogen by ship could play a key role in the emerging hydrogen value chain. In this episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, Martin Carolan, Managing Director and CEO o...

On this special episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, Jean-Charles Rinaldi, SBM Offshore Group Director of Sales and Marketing, and Miguel Hernandez, ABS Senior Vice President of Global Offshore, joined host Brad Cox, ABS, in the ABS booth at the 2025 Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas, to discuss offshore innovation and the future of the floating production storage and offloadi...

As nations around the world continue to explore diversifying their energy sources, floating offshore wind platforms offer an option for countries where fixed-bottom offshore wind developments are limited. On this episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, Sam Kanner, Aikido Technologies CEO, and Rob Langford, ABS Vice President of Global Offshore Renewables, join host Brad Cox, ABS, to discuss the...

The 83rd meeting of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) is fast approaching, with potentially industry-shaking decisions set to be discussed and possibly agreed upon. On this episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, Sanne Henriksen, Head of IMO and EU Public and Regulatory Affairs at A.P. Moller-Maersk, Philippos Philis, Founder, Chairma...

As autonomous technologies rapidly evolve, institutions like Texas A&M University are pioneering research into how the technologies can be virtually verified and validated before they are deployed on real-world maritime vessels. This special episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, was recorded at the ABS Laboratory for Ocean Innovation at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, where the u...

Using additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, to produce replacement parts on demand can support just-in-time operations and potentially mitigate supply chain disruptions for the maritime and offshore industries. On this episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, Daniel Tan, Pelagus 3D Chief Technology Officer, and Dr. Gu Hai, ABS Vice President of Technology, joined host Brad Cox...

A revolutionary vessel design with a novel aft layout could reduce a vessel’s environmental impact and promote efficient operations. Craig Carter, Thordon Bearings Vice President of Business Development, and Dr. Chris Leontopoulos, ABS Vice President of Technology, joined host Brad Cox on this episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, to discuss the Blue Ocean Alliance’s design for a sterntubeles...

The emergence of 3D model-based design and engineering for the maritime industry is changing the way ships are designed, engineered, built and classed. This special episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, was recorded on board the Signet Capella tugboat at the Enbridge Ingleside Energy Center near Corpus Christi, Texas. The Signet Sirius , sistership of the Signet Capella , was the first commer...

Ammonia offers interesting potential as a zero-carbon marine fuel. Several companies are developing technologies to support ammonia’s application by taking advantage of its energy density and mitigating its toxicity risks. Jan Chow, Senior Manager of Applications and Services Engineering for Amogy, and Michael Kei, Vice President of Technology for ABS, joined host Brad Cox on this episode of Setti...

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) is at the center of the action for the shipping industry’s decarbonization. With MEPC’s 82nd session coming up, we had several IMO delegates from across the industry join Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, to discuss what they expect from the meeting, the hottest topics that will be discussed, and issues fu...

ABS recently launched the sixth edition of its sustainability Outlook series, Beyond the Horizon, Carbon Neutral Fuel Pathways and Transformational Technologies . The new Outlook provides a forecast for net zero scenarios factoring in the future fuel mix, energy efficiency technologies and shipyard capacity for retrofits. On this episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, Stergios Stamopoulos, ABS...

Once considered future fuels, options like LNG, methanol and ammonia are quickly becoming current fuels for the maritime industry. However, as alternative fuel-enabled ships start hitting the water, challenges remain for both availability and risk assessment. On this episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, Dinesh Balraj, Maersk Head of Fleet Operations East, and Shu Yong Koh, ABS Director of Gl...

As the maritime industry grapples with reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we have seen a multitude of regulations intended to drive progress. Now we have the FuelEU Maritime Regulation, which introduces the concept of well-to-wake carbon equivalent emissions per megajoule of energy and it enters into force in January 2025. On this episode of Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, Francesco Bellusci, Mana...