Designing new ships for new purposes, in this case deep seabed mining, without using proper selected reference vessels, if available, is challenging. In this paper, we show that the vessel features of a future deep seabed mining vessel have many similarities to offshore vessels in the deep-sea offshore oil and gas industry and can be used as such. We evaluate and discuss the technical, operational, and commercial performance of three possible vessel design solutions developed based on such a case ship.

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The aim of this paper is to demonstrate by “facts and figures” the perceived influence of rule changes, including but not limiting to the safety for special purpose ships (SPS) codes and marine regulatory changes since 2000, in the design of different offshore vessel. It is stated by many that practical design of offshore vessels, as one of the major groups of special purpose work vessels, has been significantly influenced by new rules introduced. For example, SPS code developments over the last years, have created challenges for designers besides endless argumentations to envelope proper sample of vessels for similar vessel based designs. The same problems are observed within performance benchmarking of samples and fleets of vessels over time series. However, enabling designers and decision makers in the early stage design phase to understand the impact of such codes and regulations on vessels’ price, performances, capacities and capabilities, is a significant and important issue, which has not been studied comprehensively during the last years. This influence study is based on two major design perspectives of ‘design for Efficiency’ and ‘design vessel for Effectiveness.

Handling complexity in conceptual ship design processes requires a thorough understanding of complexity aspects in general. More than 100 scientific papers on the subject published since 1962 are, therefore, reviewed and discussed in this paper. The paper expands the understanding of complexity theory by reviewing the literature in the engineering domain. Different definitions of complexity, characteristics of complex systems, aspects of complexity in design, complexity sources, and its drivers are explored and discussed in detail. Furthermore, the findings are arranged into relevant complexity factors in ship design. Related complexity factors in ship design, are also discussed by use of examples from everyday ship design practices. This study is a theoretical elaboration to shed light on the current practice and future research direction in handling complexity in conceptual ship design processes to improve competitiveness.

This article studies the prospects for deep seabed mining as a future viable maritime industry, and discuss the commercial, operational, and technical viability of deep seabed mining. By the use of a business development approach originating from the maritime industry, we analyse opportunities for a virtual deep seabed mining project, and identify aspects of stakeholder performance expectations, contextualised by the competitive positioning and identification of related project risks. We discuss strategies and pit-falls when positioning a deep seabed mining venture within the wider mining and metal production value chain, and use a case example in the Northern Atlantic Ocean to study the prospects for a deep seabed mining operation and subsequent system design implications. Furthermore, we contrast to well-established industries like offshore oil and gas, and traditional land-based mining. The study promotes several critical aspects and problem areas when approaching marine systems design for deep seabed mining.