Organised by the EXPLORER consortium
Partner institutions
Funded by
EXPLORER project, Maritime Autonomy Workshop Series
Enabling safe, smart and collaborative oceans
Workshop objectives
The Maritime Autonomy Workshop Series, India 2026 brings researchers, students, industry and policymakers together to advance safe, sustainable and intelligent maritime technologies for future ocean operations. It is hosted by the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and organised as part of the EXPLORER project.
EXPLORER, Exploring Mixed-Autonomy at Sea through Multi-site Simulations and Collaborative Learning, prepares for a future where autonomous and crewed ships operate side by side. The partnership studies how human and autonomous vessels can safely communicate, work together and operate, through multi-site simulations and real-sea trials.
The workshop is led by UiT The Arctic University of Norway and funded by the Research Council of Norway under the INTPART programme (project no. 359782).
Programme
Contributions are organised around four panels. Together they set the structure of the workshop and of the proceedings.
How can autonomous ships make decisions that are safe, predictable, and understandable to human mariners?
How can heterogeneous robotic systems work reliably with one another and with human-operated vessels?
How can maritime autonomy improve environmental performance while remaining resilient to operational and societal risks?
What knowledge, skills, standards and collaborations will the next generation need to shape maritime autonomy responsibly?
Keynote speakers
Keynote lectures are given by senior researchers from the partner institutions, all based outside the host country, and are included in the proceedings.
Call for papers
We invite original contributions across the four panel themes. Selected and presented papers, after peer review and revision, will appear in the workshop's peer-reviewed proceedings.
Send an extended abstract of about 500 to 800 words stating the contribution, method and results, and the panel it fits. This is used to select presentations.
Accepted authors present during the panel sessions in Kharagpur. Students can also take part in the School of Maritime Autonomy.
After the workshop, authors submit full papers prepared to the proceedings template for inclusion in the peer-reviewed proceedings.
Each full paper is reviewed by at least two independent reviewers drawn from the scientific committee and the wider community, following COPE guidelines. Papers are similarity-screened, revised as required, and published on acceptance.
Submit by email to the organisers
Key dates
Organisation
The workshop is organised by the EXPLORER consortium and hosted by IIT Kharagpur. The scientific committee is responsible for peer review and for decisions on which papers are accepted.
Publishing ethics
The workshop is committed to the highest standards of publication ethics and follows the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All parties, authors, reviewers, the scientific committee and the organisers, are expected to uphold these standards.
Submitted work must be original, must not have been published elsewhere, and must not be under review at any other venue. All sources must be properly cited. Submissions are screened for similarity, and plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, and undisclosed redundant publication are grounds for rejection.
Authorship is limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the work. All named authors must approve the submission and its publication, and all who contributed must be acknowledged. Any conflicts of interest and all sources of funding must be disclosed.
Each full paper is assessed by at least two independent reviewers. Reviews are conducted fairly, confidentially and on the basis of academic merit. Reviewers declare conflicts of interest and decline to review where a conflict exists. Final decisions on acceptance and rejection rest with the scientific committee.
Where errors or ethical concerns are identified after publication, the organisers will investigate in line with COPE guidance and issue corrections or retractions as needed. Concerns can be raised with the organisers using the contact details below.
Attend
To register, or to ask about participation and fees, contact the organisers. International participants will receive an invitation letter from the host for visa purposes.
Registration enquiries: register@maritimeautonomy.org
Getting there
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Department of Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture
Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India
Local contact: Anirban Bhattacharyya · ab@naval.iitkgp.ac.in
The nearest major international gateway is Kolkata (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport), from which Kharagpur is reached by road or rail.
The IIT Kharagpur Office of International Relations issues formal invitation letters to registered international participants for visa purposes.
Organised by the EXPLORER consortium