Maritime research and development

In both technological and commercial terms, the  maritime sector in the Netherlands is highly advanced. 

Moreover, the government has created ideal conditions for the further development of maritime know-how. Outstanding maritime research is carried out by MARIN, renowned worldwide for its research in the area of ship design, shipbuilding, shipping and ocean engineering. MARIN’s core business is the application of maritime know-how and technology in general and hydromechanics in particular. Other institutes  performing maritime research are Deltares (a joint  venture of GeoDelft and WL | Delft Hydraulics),  TNO (Institute for Applied Scientific Research), Delft University of Technology, the University of Twente and  Erasmus University Rotterdam.

A number of advanced simulators used for R&D and education are located in the Netherlands. Three well-known names in this field are the Netherlands Maritime Simulation Centre (MSCN) in Wageningen, the STC Group in Rotterdam and the CSmart Academy (Centre for Simulator Maritime Training) with courses especially developed for cruise vessels.