Three parties – Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd (RCCL), the world’s second largest cruise shipping company, the classification society DNV-GL and the Glasgow-based Strathclyde University’s Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean & Marine Engineering -  have joined forces to launch the Maritime Safety Research Centre (MSRC)

“The world’s first centre of its kind, the MSRC will aim to improve safety at sea through a close collaboration between industry and academia, that targets interdisciplinary, common-threaded research and development, DNV-GL said in a statement.

“The time is ripe for adopting a new model by reconstituting a centre of excellence for maritime safety. In this new centre, the vision, and long- and short-term goals are set, shared and served through close collaboration between industry and academia to target a truly interdisciplinary, common-threaded R&D. Our research activities are strategically focused, ensuring that academic excellence is combined with strong industrial engagement,” said the Director of the MSRC and Professor of Maritime Safety, Dracos Vassalos, in the statement.