Workshops of Panel O-36

Maritime Economics

Last revised: 23 May 2006

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Held on 21 October 2005 at the SNAME Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas

Summary of Proceedings

Jointly held on 28 September 2004 at the National Academies in Washington, D.C.

With the Transportation Research Board / Marine Board of the National Academies

Summary of Proceedings:

The Maritime Economics Panel of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and the Transportation Research Board / Marine Board of the National Academies held a workshop on September 28, 2004 to explore the economics underlying development of a robust culture of Short Sea Shipping in the United States. Although much attention has been given to the development of engineering designs for ships to serve in hypothetical short sea roles, little attention has been paid to the economics of short sea shipping services and the structure of their markets, where these services form but one link in an intermodal chain. A series of presentations were used to posit an economic framework for domestic short sea shipping and explore options for financing a short sea shipping venture. With these discussions as a reference, participants then addressed "case studies" that examined some of the economic and financial challenges faced by existing domestic operators.

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WORKSHOP: The Legal and Economic Issues of High Speed Marine Transport

Held on 11 July 2002 in Washington, D.C.

With the Transportation Section of the Federal Bar Association

Summary of Proceedings:

The Transportation Law Section of the Federal Bar Association and the Maritime Economics Panel of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers held a workshop on July 11, 2002 to explore issues affecting the development of high speed marine transport in the United States.  The premise for developing the workshop was that, high speed marine vehicles enjoy wide market penetration in other areas of the world, yet are relatively rare in the United States.  Through an examination three issue areas: (1) contracts and financing, (2) modal choice and intermodalism, and (3) operational and environmental factors, workshop participants explored the opportunities and impediments to the penetration of domestic high speed services.

Complete Summary of Proceedings

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WORKSHOP: The Economics of Fast Cargo Ships

Held on 12 June 1997 in Washington, D.C.

With the International Association of Maritime Economists

Summary of Proceedings:

This workshop addressed the economics associated with emerging technology for fast cargo ships. A number of technological advances have been proposed for insertion into the liner industry, proposals for high speed services on the East-West trades. These proposals often gloss over market dynamics and issues vital to economic viability. After reviewing ship technology in the context of the total origin to destination transportation system, the workshop explored market structure and demand, including the interrelation between the markets for international movement by sea and air and the potential for producing “value added” to a certain set of customers. The workshop also discussed the economic viability of such a service in terms of: (1) necessary investments in ships, infrastructure and peripherals; (2) cargo collection and distribution; (3) capital and operating costs; and (4) assessment of risk.

The following materials are available upon request:
Proceedings
Attendee List
Attachments 1-9
Other information provided by participants

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WORKSHOP: U.S. Intermodalism for the 21st Century

Held on 25 April 1996 at the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C.

With the Transportation Section of the Federal Bar Association

Summary of Proceedings:

The conference addressed a series of diverse topics: Containership Utilization; Port Operations Efficiency; the Movement of Cargo; the Use of GPS; The Application of CERCLA to Ocean Shipping; and a final open forum where any topic pertinent to the subject of the conference was open to discussion. These notes do not duplicate information in the papers distributed at the conference. They reflect selected comments the authors made during their presentations and highlights of the ensuing discussions.

Complete Summary of Proceedings

The following materials are available upon request:
Conference Handout
Attendee List

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WORKSHOP: Strategic Sealift, Convertibility and Economics

Held on 25 October 1994 at the offices of American Management Systems

With SNAME Panels O-31 (Cargo Handling) and O-41 (Sealift)

Summary of Proceedings:

The Sealift workshop focused on the role for commercial ships operating in commercial trade and the prospects for using them, perhaps with quick modifications, to carry military sealift cargoes. The emphasis was on ships well-suited to their commercial uses and probably less suited – but at least adequate – for military use. By contrast, some earlier efforts began with the military requirements and then tried to define the characteristics of a “commercial” ship that would meet them. These efforts invariably resulted in a set of ship characteristics having a superficial plausibility but lacking genuine suitability for commercial operation on real trade routes. To avoid the pitfalls of earlier efforts, the workshop was structured to examine commercial requirements, military requirements, and the linkage between these two sets of requirements. With the competing sets of requirements firmly established, the workshop then probed issues of economic and operational viability.

The following materials are available upon request:Summary of Proceedings
Attendee List
Numerous attachments (narratives of presentations, drawings, etc.)

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WORKSHOP: The Economics of Fast Ferries

Held on 27 January 1994 at the offices of Fort & Schlefer

Summary of Proceedings:

The workshop examined the markets for ferries and the potential for using high speed vessels in domestic ferry applications. Through a discussion of the practical economics associated with ferry systems, and the benefits and limits of new technologies, participants discussed the circumstances under which these new technologies could be made commercially viable in the United States.

The following materials are available upon request:
Chair’s Minutes
Chair’s Handout/Presentation
Materials contributed by participants for circulation to attendees

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