The collaboration in training and research was celebrated at an event including a presentation of RINA’s Fleet Operation Centre at the new global marine training centre in RINA’s Piraeus offices

RINA and the School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (School of NA & ME) of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) report on the progress of their collaboration in training and research.

Every year RINA hosts between four and six senior students of the School of NA & ME who are trained alongside experienced engineers at the RINA office in Greece. In the context of the MoU signed between RINA and School of NA & ME in 2019, two additional on-the-job training positions are offered every year to the students interested in receiving further knowledge and adding focus to their academic studies. Overall, the training synergy figures from the internships programme and the MoU are: Participation by eighteen NTUA senior students since 2019, four additional on-the-job training positions, and four young engineers have (as of Sept 2022) joined the RINA family, two with part-time and two with full-term contracts.

RINA and NTUA have a long-standing cooperation in research. There are twelve ongoing and nineteen concluded European research projects that the two organisations are working/have worked on together in recent years (in the context of the European Commission HORIZON programme). SafePASS is the ongoing marine engineering research project that RINA and the NA&ME School are working on, together with other European partners. The project proposes revolutionary solutions for the safety of large passenger ships, a segment where RINA leads in the global classification market. The project relates to the training synergy by engaging young NTUA students from the internship and the MoU in its research activities.

RINA is one of the oldest classification societies and a founding member of the International Association of Classification Societies and the synergies with NTUA in training and research form a framework to support young engineers in gaining professional experience, a vital supplement to their studies.

NTUA is the largest technical university in Greece, with reputation for excellence. Students are studying over a period of five years to obtain 300 credit units, which leads to a masters Diploma in accordance with the continental European system for training engineers. The framework of practical training for budding Naval Architects and Marine Engineers from the NA & ME School adds to their understanding of the application of their academic studies in the real world.

Paolo Moretti, CEO at RINA Services, said: “RINA and the NA & ME School of NTUA have an established cooperation in research and training. We are pleased to offer opportunities for undergraduates and graduates to further their knowledge alongside our technical personnel and support them in identifying directions in which they may wish to take their careers. This cooperation brings benefits to the school and to the RINA business, which is always looking for bright, new engineers to support its global network.”

Professor Georgios Zarafonitis, Dean of the School of NA & ME, at NTUA, said: “We have worked with RINA for many years in research and practical training, and we are happy with the results reported today. The experience our students are gaining within RINA is an excellent insight into the real world of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. We will continue with RINA and wish to strengthen this cooperation which can only benefit all parties involved.”

The cooperation between RINA and NTUA was celebrated at an event hosted at the brand new global marine training centre in RINA’s Piraeus offices. The event included a presentation of RINA’s Fleet Operation Centre, a digital tool which provides shipowners innovative and timely services, optimizing their processes merging together information from class applications with tools and data from added value applications.