Japan Finds Rare Earth Mud Near Remote Island
platform for innovative ocean development.Japan plans a month-long large-scale mining trial in the same waters from February 2027, aiming to dredge 350 tons of mud a day. The material will be dewatered at Minamitori Island and will be processed on the mainland to test separation, refining and smelting technologies.The trial is expected to verify the feasibility of domestic rare earth production, with a comprehensive assessment of industrialisation prospects due by March 2028, said Kazushige Kikuchi, project manager at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, which operates the Chikyu.Beijing
Smaller Footprint, Broader Missions: How CHASING ROVs Expand Subsea Inspection Capabilities
becomes more data-driven, that ability to connect mobility, sensing and usable information is likely to become increasingly important.About CHASINGFounded in 2016, CHASING develops and manufactures professional and consumer underwater ROVs, along with related underwater imaging and inspection technologies.Its professional product portfolio supports a wide range of applications, including offshore platform inspection, underwater infrastructure inspection, underwater emergency response, hull and dock inspection, aquaculture and fisheries, scientific research and environmental monitoring, border security
Saronic, Samsung Heavy Industries Collaborate on Autonomous Marine Systems
Saronic and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) announced a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of autonomy-capable maritime systems and technologies to strengthen America’s shipbuilding industrial base. Through this partnership, the companies will harness technology and expertise to build the maritime industrial capacity and workforce needed to deliver on American and allied shipbuilding needs, both today and into the future.The companies unveiled the partnership at the launch of the Korea–U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center (KUSPC) in Washington, D.C., a new organization
OPTICS11 Expands OptiArray Product Line
.Alongside delivery of the operational systems, the project will establish the production, integration and validation capability required to support future deployment at scale. Investment in manufacturing readiness, supply chain resilience and production infrastructure will also help mature technologies supporting future programs, while strengthening the Netherlands’ ability to rapidly field advanced underwater sensing capabilities as operational requirements continue to evolve
TGS Advances Seismic Imaging Across Three Offshore Basins
the Keta Basin. TGS expects final products to be delivered in the first quarter of 2027.In Norway, TGS launched the Atlantic Margin South Reprocessing project, covering more than 23,000 sq km of 3D seismic data in the Norwegian Sea.The project will apply pre-stack depth migration and advanced imaging technologies, including machine learning-based denoising and Dynamic Matching elastic Full Waveform Inversion, to improve imaging in volcanic geology. Early products are expected in the third quarter of 2026, with the full dataset scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2027.The company also began
Batteries at Sea: Not All-Electric, Not Everywhere but Increasingly Essential
. Global shipping accounts for roughly 3% of planet-warming emissions. Meanwhile, International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2023 GHG Strategy targets net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping by or around 2050. A 2030 ambition is for zero or near-zero GHG technologies, fuels, and energy sources to represent at least 5%, striving for 10%, of energy used by international shipping.Compliance is becoming a material cost line item.Under current and emerging IMO and European Union (EU) regulations, including the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and the Fuel EU
Unmanned Vessels Proliferate in today's "Hybrid Navy Extravaganza"
of dollars, not millions, billions of dollars, and they are buying traditional shipyards. They are turning them into modern factories that are geared towards high production, low cost, rapid production.” He points to Magnet Defense’s acquisition of Metal Shark and Saronic Technologies’ acquisition of Gulf Craft as examples.The U.S. 2026 budgets included a long-term forecast for fleet building until 2056 with a clear focus on medium USVs, says Lewis, after earlier spending on small vessels suited to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. “The medium USVs
Ray Systems Partners with NOC to Further Fin-Based AUVs
, Ray Systems gains access to engineering and testing facilities, scientific expertise and a network across the ocean and maritime sectors, with the intention of transitioning the ocean economy from propellers to fins.Ray Systems develops fin-based autonomous underwater vehicles built around two technologies: RayDrive, its bio-inspired oscillating-fin propulsion system, and NelsonOS, an autonomy operating system co-designed with the platform for the GPS-denied, comms-denied conditions of the underwater world. By taking its cues from how marine life moves, Ray Systems builds vehicles that are quieter
The Maritime and Arctic Security and Safety conference (MASS) highlights Atlantic Canada's unique capabilities in defense and technology
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland & Labrador.)With 600 participants, this year's MASS conference is the biggest ever, according to Victoria Belbin, ACADA president and CEO.The conference, held at the St. John's Convention Centre, is examining the policies, technologies and operations to leverage Atlantic Canada's leadership in environmental management, economic leadership and workforce development.In his keynote remarks, Newfoundland Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham told the delegates that the province has the strategic geopolitical location as a gateway to
February 2026
