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One Ocean, Several Days: Why the Maritime Calendar Matters

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  An Ocean Geopolitics Centre perspective On 24 September 2026, the international community marked World Maritime Day . It is one of several occasions during the year that ask us to pay attention to the sea. Their names can sound similar, but each directs our attention towards a different part of a larger reality: the health of the ocean, the people who work upon it, the opportunities open to women in maritime professions, and the systems that keep ships moving safely between continents. For the Ocean Geopolitics Centre , these days are most valuable when considered together. The ocean is a living environment, a place of work, a route for trade and a strategic space. A decision about shipping can affect marine ecosystems. A decision about environmental protection can affect ports and coastal communities. Neither can be understood fully without the knowledge and experience of the people who work at sea. 18 May — International Day for Women in Maritime This day dra...
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OCEAN GEOPOLITICS CENTRE STRATEGIC BRIEF No. 1 | SEPTEMBER 2026 From Maritime Chokepoints to the Concept of the Latent Chokepoint

OCEAN GEOPOLITICS CENTRE STRATEGIC BRIEF No. 1  |  SEPTEMBER 2026 From Maritime Chokepoints to the Concept of the Latent Chokepoint Bering and the Geography of Tomorrow’s Vulnerability From Maritime Chokepoints to the Concept of the Latent Chokepoint Artur Victoria Ocean Geopolitics Centre Globalisation has transformed the scale of international commerce without abolishing one of its oldest constraints: geography. The contemporary world economy may operate through digital communications, instantaneous financial transactions and production networks extending across continents, but the physical movement of energy, raw materials and manufactured goods continues to depend heavily upon the sea. More importantly, much of that maritime circulation remains concentrated through a remarkably small number of narrow passages. The Strait of Hormuz, the Strait of Malacca, Bab el-Mandeb, the Suez Canal, the Turkish Straits and the Panama Canal demonstrate that ...
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The Strategic Geography of Undersea Infrastructure | Ocean Geopolitics Centre

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  The Strategic Geography of Undersea Infrastructure Ocean Geopolitics Centre Working Paper No. 003 The Ocean Geopolitics Centre is pleased to announce the publication of Working Paper No. 003 , entitled The Strategic Geography of Undersea Infrastructure: How Critical Seabed Systems Are Reshaping Global Power . The publication examines one of the least visible yet most strategically important transformations taking place in international affairs. Beneath the world's oceans lies an extensive network of submarine communication cables, offshore energy installations, electricity interconnectors, pipelines, seabed sensors and emerging underwater technologies that collectively sustain the functioning of the global economy. While maritime geopolitics has traditionally focused on naval power and the control of sea lines of communication, this Working Paper argues that contemporary geopolitical competition increasingly depends upon the resilience, governance and protection of these...
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Why the Twenty-First Century Requires a New Science of Ocean Geopolitics

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  Why the Twenty-First Century Requires a New Science of Ocean Geopolitics By Artur Victoria The oceans are entering a new era of strategic importance. For centuries they were primarily regarded as routes connecting nations through trade, exploration and naval power. Today, however, they have become far more than maritime highways. They are increasingly the central arena where geopolitics, technology, economics, security, environmental sustainability and international governance converge. This profound transformation raises an important question. Can the complexity of the contemporary maritime domain still be adequately understood through existing academic disciplines alone? International Relations explains interstate behaviour. Maritime Strategy analyses the use of sea power. International Maritime Law establishes the legal framework governing the oceans. Oceanography provides scientific knowledge of marine systems, while Economics and Environmental Science contribute esse...
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The Intelligent Ocean: Education for a New Era of Ocean Science

    The Intelligent Ocean: Education for a New Era of Ocean Science By the Ocean Geopolitics Centre Ocean Intelligence, artificial intelligence, education and the future of global ocean governance The ocean is entering a new scientific and technological age. For centuries, humanity sought to understand the sea through direct observation, navigation, physical measurement and the gradual accumulation of oceanographic knowledge. Ships recorded currents, temperatures and depths. Coastal communities developed practical knowledge of tides and weather. Scientists later introduced increasingly sophisticated instruments capable of observing marine ecosystems, geological structures and atmospheric interactions. Today, however, the scale of ocean observation has changed profoundly. Satellites continuously monitor sea-surface temperatures, currents, waves, storms, chlorophyll concentrations and changes in sea level. Autonomous underwater vehicles explore depths that are inacce...
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Critical Underwater Infrastructure: The Hidden Battlefield Beneath the Oceans

  The Hidden Battlefield — Ocean Geopolitics Centre Beneath the world's oceans lies an extensive and largely invisible network upon which modern civilisation depends. Submarine fibre-optic cables, energy pipelines, electricity interconnectors, offshore installations and underwater sensor systems sustain global communications, financial markets, international trade, energy security and national defence. Although these systems remain hidden from public view, they have become strategic assets at the centre of twenty-first-century geopolitical competition. When national security is discussed, attention normally turns to armies, naval fleets, aircraft, satellites and territorial borders. However, some of the most important infrastructure supporting contemporary societies lies thousands of metres below the surface of the sea. This underwater domain is becoming a new strategic frontier in which technology, security, economic resilience and geopolitical rivalry increasingl...
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AI-Powered Docking: The Future of Intelligent Maritime Navigation

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  Autonomous Berthing and Intelligent Docking: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Modern Ports Artificial Intelligence is revolutionising modern port operations by transforming the way ships approach, manoeuvre and berth. From predictive navigation and digital twins to autonomous tugboats and intelligent mooring systems, AI is creating safer, more efficient and more sustainable ports while reshaping the future of global maritime logistics. Modern commercial ships are becoming increasingly intelligent, but one of the greatest technological revolutions in maritime transport is taking place during the final few hundred metres of a voyage. Berthing a vessel safely alongside a quay has always been one of the most demanding tasks in navigation, requiring exceptional judgement from masters, harbour pilots and tugboat crews. Today, Artificial Intelligence is beginning to transform this complex operation. Why Berthing Remains the Greatest Navigational Challenge Although sh...
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