For shipping’s leaders, the biggest challenge today isn’t just keeping up with technology — it’s knowing which path to take. “Making decisions about which technology or fuel to invest in has not been easy,” says Martijn Bergink, president of Alfa Laval’s marine division. “Rapidly changing regulations, evolving fuel options, and rising costs have created a complex environment where the right choice is often unclear.”
This uncertainty defines the current era. Shipowners have been under pressure to decarbonise while remaining profitable, but the roadmap is far from settled. Bergink says that for many, the challenge is “balancing short-term operational needs with long-term goals.” Still, he sees real progress: “The penny has started to drop, and in some areas it’s already rolling.”
Bergink notes that shipowners are now investing not just in compliance, but in solutions that deliver operational effectiveness — everything from air lubrication and waste heat recovery to anti-fouling and predictive digital tools. There’s also growing interest in multi-fuel readiness and fuel-flexible systems, giving operators the ability to adapt to whatever energy source prevails.
Alfa Laval itself is at the heart of this technological crossroads. Once seen primarily as a hardware company, it has evolved into a solutions partner combining equipment expertise with advanced digital capabilities. A turning point was its 2021 acquisition of StormGeo, which brought powerful analytics and AI tools into its portfolio.“AI is now an essential part of how we help customers improve performance, efficiency, and compliance,” Bergink explains. StormGeo’s Voyage Intelligence platform, for instance, uses predictive analytics, machine learning, and vessel-specific performance data to produce adaptive