Abstract
This special issue consists of selected papers presented at the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) conference in Norfolk, Virginia, 15–18 July 2014. They cover issues of considerable importance in the maritime industry and reflect new developments in the industry of interest to shipping lines, the ports that serve them and governments seeking to bring policy in line with modern shipping practice. More specifically, the first four papers discuss the environmental aspects ranging from environmentally-friendly technologies in shipping and designing for emissions allocation in container shipping to the use of LNG-fueled vessels in China and the development of LNG bunkering facilities in North European ports. These four papers indicate the significant interest in new technologies, emissions calculations, and the greening of the industry and are particularly relevant for readers interested in what the future may hold. Those developing new technologies have long considered how to improve technology uptake and ensure that technologies become more widely adopted, eventually becoming mainstream. The first paper titled Towards understanding the stepwise dissemination of shipping technologies suggests that adoption does not follow a logical and incremental path but rather a stepwise one where shifts in adoption are significant and abrupt. It provides food for thought to those seeking to understand the conditions by which technologies are adopted, and the concerns that face those with new technologies and hoping for their adoption. There are many in the industry that believe that the impacts should be obvious and that the uptake of new concepts will be logical and predictable. This paper, by arguing for an alternative adoption trajectory, provides insights into what is more likely to happen. It suggests that those with new technologies in development might consider building a program that enhances the probability of WMU J Marit Affairs (2015) 14:1–5 DOI 10.1007/s13437-015-0087-z
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