Together with 23 other European partners, HSBA, through the Hamburg Maritime Institute headed by Prof. Dr. Max Johns, is participating in the EU research project SeaAhead, which was just kicked off in Athens at the end of April. With a budget of €4 million and a duration of 48 months, the project, which is funded by the EU's Erasmus+ program, aims to advance maritime education through innovation, focusing on state-of-the-art technologies such as extended reality (XR). The project is thus timely, coming at a time when Europe urgently needs to become more independent strategically and industrially.
The maritime sector is undergoing remarkable changes due to increasing environmental regulations and technological advances. This requires an adjustment of skills, as the gap between existing and desired skill levels is growing, particularly in the areas of environment and technology. The overall goal of the EU project SeaAhead is to create Centers of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) that bring together experts from education, research, and industry. This will strengthen innovation to ensure the growth, competitiveness, and future viability of the industry.