Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Technologies for Next-Generation Shipbuilding and Marine Structures

The shipbuilding sector is under increasing pressure to reduce environmental impacts while improving structural efficiency, durability, safety and lifecycle performance. Conventional marine materials, including steel, aluminium and traditional composites, remain essential in many applications but are associated with challenges such as corrosion, high maintenance demand, energy-intensive production, limited recyclability and complex disposal. At the same time, innovative materials and manufacturing technologies are creating new opportunities for lightweight, durable and more sustainable ship structures. Additive manufacturing, natural fibre-reinforced composites, biobased resins, recyclable polymers, hybrid reinforcements and multifunctional surface treatments may support the development of greener hull components, decks, interiors, superstructures and secondary structural elements for ships, boats and other marine structures.This Research Topic aims to collect recent advances in sustainable materials, design methods and manufacturing processes for shipbuilding and marine structural applications. The main objective is to explore how innovative materials can contribute to lighter, lower-impact and more durable vessels and structures while meeting the demanding requirements of the marine environment. Particular attention will be given to additive manufacturing for customised or complex components, natural fibres and biobased materials for composite structures, low-toxicity and recyclable composite systems and circular design strategies for repair, reuse and end-of-life management. The Research Topic also seeks to address the gap between promising laboratory-scale developments and their practical implementation in shipyards, classification-compliant marine components and real operating conditions.This Research Topic welcomes contributions addressing sustainable materials, technologies, modelling, testing and applications for shipbuilding and marine structures. Contributions may focus on structural, semi-structural and non-structural components for vessels and offshore structures, including hull parts, decks, superstructures, interiors, panels, sandwich structures, joints, fittings and modular elements.Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:• Additive manufacturing and robotic fabrication for shipbuilding• Natural fibre-reinforced composites for marine applications• Biobased, recyclable and low-toxicity resins and composites• Hybrid composites combining natural, synthetic, recycled or mineral reinforcements• Lightweight panels and sandwich structures• Durability, ageing, fatigue, water uptake, UV exposure, fire behaviour and seawater degradation• Repair, maintenance, recyclability and end-of-life strategies• Sustainable coatings, antifouling surfaces and protective treatments • Life-cycle assessment and circular design approaches for shipbuilding materials• Digital design, simulation, structural optimisation and certification-oriented testing• Demonstrators, prototypes and case studies involving boats, ships and offshore structures Topic editors: Giulia Palomba, Fabio Salmeri, James Blake, Leigh Sutherland, Marcello Raffaele Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84672/sustainable-materials-and-manufacturing-technologies-for-next-generation-shipbuilding-and-marine-structures