Acknowledging the increasing transformative importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the WMU Summer Academy Course on AI Applications in Maritime and Ocean Studies brings together an interdisciplinary roster of academics and industry experts. The aim is to explore the latest developments and trends in this dynamic area and to address related aspects in the context of sustainable maritime development.
This Summer Academy offering is broadly based on the cooperation of several academic institutions. In Japan, Hiroshima University (HU) was selected in 2024 for the MEXT “Inter-University Exchange Project” and is implementing a five-year programme “Training Program for Next Generation Leaders in AI in Maritime Economic Security and Sustainability” in collaboration with five European universities: Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, University of Graz, World Maritime University (WMU), University of the Basque Country, and Leipzig University. The cooperation acknowledges that maritime and ocean-related fields are deeply connected to global sustainable development and environmental protection. In this context, AI will play a critical role in future marine resource management and in optimizing virtually all aspects of ship and port operations.
As part of this initiative, WMU is hosting this Summer Academy offering focusing on AI applications in the maritime and ocean fields, based on a broader understanding of AI as a transformative development. Presentations and discussions will go beyond “pure” maritime aspects but will be broadly anchored in an ocean-sustainability context. The aim is to raise awareness for emerging trends in an increasingly “AI-native” world, and to provide participants with a number of interdisciplinary perspectives and practical insights in the wider context of sustainable maritime development. The course will consist of lectures, discussions, and group work.
This Summer Academy course follows an interdisciplinary approach and will address a wider range of scientific and practical areas. The topics will address ethical considerations of AI, the way AI actually generates output (e.g., via large language models), legal and regulatory matters of AI and the impact of AI on (maritime) education. To link theory to practice, the topics will also include aspects like maritime domain awareness (incl. the detection of unlawful offshore activities), maritime safety, the impact of AI technology on seafarers, AI applications in ports and how AI developments shape innovation for autonomous systems as applied for navigation and/or voyage planning.
Two short excursions (Malmö and Copenhagen) will be integrated into the programme, however, these activities serve as cultural purposes and are not intended to be strictly linked to AI developments.
Dates of the course: 19-27 August 2026