USCMI Innovation Café puts focus on small modular reactors for maritime

Ievent was kicked off by U.S. Maritime Administrator Stephen Carmel. [Photo: ABS]

The U.S. Center for Maritime Innovation (USCMI), together with MARAD and ABS, recently brought together maritime, energy, and public-sector leaders for an Innovation Café event focused on small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear technologies for maritime applications.

ABS, which provides the Secretariat of USCMI, hosted the event at its Washington, D.C., office, where the Innovation Café brought together innovators, startups, shipping companies, shipyards, ports, SMR developers and key government stakeholders to examine emerging concepts, assess economics, and identify pathways for adoption of small modular reactors in commercial maritime applications.

The event was kicked off by U.S. Maritime Administrator Stephen Carmel, who emphasized the importance of aligning maritime innovation with operational realities and national priorities.

“The future of U.S. maritime strength depends on our ability to align innovation with real operational and economic outcomes,” said Carmel. “Bringing stakeholders together through forums like the USCMI Innovation Café ensures we are not only exploring transformative technologies like small modular reactors, but doing so in a way that strengthens our industrial base, enhances resilience, and delivers practical value to the maritime transportation system.”

“We are pleased to convene this Innovation Café and bring together leading voices from across the maritime and energy sectors,” said David Walker, Secretariat for the U.S. Center for Maritime Innovation. “These discussions create real value by connecting stakeholders, aligning perspectives, and helping to accelerate practical pathways for integrating innovative solutions like SMRs into the maritime ecosystem.”

Throughout the session, participants engaged in collaborative discussions on the technical, regulatory, and commercial considerations surrounding SMR integration.

As the congressionally authorized hub for maritime technology advancement, USCMI, facilitated by ABS under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Maritime Administration, plays a central role in fostering collaboration and accelerating innovation across the maritime transportation system.

The Innovation Café is part of an ongoing series of engagements designed to connect industry leaders, government leaders and innovators, helping define actionable pathways for deploying cutting-edge technologies that enhance sustainability, efficiency and global competitiveness in the U.S. maritime sector.