The Greater Lafourche Port Commission (GLPC) welcomed its 2025–2030 board members, sworn in by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill. The nine-member board includes newly elected Chad Callais and eight incumbents who were re-elected without opposition.

 

The board oversees Port Fourchon and the South Lafourche Airport, with a mission to support economic growth and preserve the region’s environment and heritage. GLPC Executive Director Chett Chiasson praised the board’s diverse expertise and commitment to the community, highlighting the exciting projects planned for the coming years. Port Fourchon continues to play a critical role in regional trade and commerce under the board's guidance.

The Port of Portland has approved a lease for the University of Oregon to establish the Oregon Acoustic Research Laboratory at the Mass Timber and Housing Innovation Campus at Terminal 2. The lab will be the first of its kind in North America, supporting mass timber industry growth by providing certified acoustic testing for housing and commercial construction.

 

This project is part of a broader initiative at the 39-acre campus to address Oregon's housing shortage and support sustainable industries. The campus will include modular housing manufacturing, workforce training, and space for small business development. Construction of the lab is set to begin in 2026, with completion expected in 2027. For more information, visit portofportland.com/masstimber.

The Port of Los Angeles has named Jeffrey Strafford as its new Chief Financial Officer. With nearly three decades of experience, Strafford has held various roles within the Port and the City of Los Angeles, including Director of Financial Planning & Analysis and Interim CFO. In his new role, Strafford will oversee key financial divisions, including accounting, debt and financial analysis, and financial planning.

 

Strafford's tenure at the Port began in 2011, during which he managed the $2.6 billion budget and spearheaded initiatives in fiscal system improvements and revenue optimization. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management economics with a minor in legal studies from the University of California Santa Cruz.

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) has received a $1 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to support its Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) Sustainability Management Plan. The terminal, located in Violet, Louisiana, will enhance the state’s import and export capacity, accommodate large vessels, and support sustainable infrastructure and workforce development.

 

The grant includes funding for community-based organizations, such as the Urban League of Louisiana, Nunez Community College, and the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development, to provide workforce training and sustainability education. LIT is Louisiana's largest public economic development project, expected to generate over 18,000 new jobs in the state and deliver more than $1 billion in tax revenue by 2050. Construction of the terminal is set to begin in 2025.

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) Conference on Innovative Science and Technologies to Improve Security and Safety of the Marine Transportation System will take place from June 23–26, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

 

Organized by The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine in partnership with the U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System, this event will explore research needs and advancements in maritime security and safety.

 

The conference planning committee is accepting presentations on topics such as climate resilience, cybersecurity, port and vessel security, and adopting zero- and low-emission technologies. The Call for Presentations closes on February 15, 2025.

 

 

The igus Mobile Shore Power Outlet (iMSPO) was developed to solve the challenges and limitations of fixed shore power vaults preventing many container terminals and marine ports from easily and safely providing shore power to all shore power enabled vessels and future larger Ocean-Going Vessels (OGVs). When implemented correctly, the iMSPO can provide 100% connection to shore power enabled OGVs. igus has been developing and manufacturing tribologically-engineered plastic components for over 50 years. Our Mission: Improve all types of motion with motion plastics, while maintaining a carbon-neutral footprint and being the easiest company to work with.

 

We are a cybersecurity services provider specializing in Ports along the gulf coast especially MTSA regulated facilities.

 

The Virginia Maritime Association (VMA) is a non-profit trade association with a mission to promote, protect, and encourage commerce through Virginia's ports and the interests of associated industries and supply chains. Since 1920, VMA has been "The Voice of Port Industries" in Virginia, and today represents over 450 member companies.

 

CORE POWER is a UK-based marine innovation company that specializes in bringing advanced nuclear technologies to the maritime sector, specifically floating nuclear power plants and nuclear power and propulsion for commercial shipping.

 

WiTricity Corporation was founded in 2007 to commercialize a new technology for wireless electricity invented and patented two years earlier by a team of physicists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, led by Professor Marin Soljacic. Professor Soljacic and team proved the magnetic fields of two properly designed devices with closely matched resonant frequencies can couple into a single continuous magnetic field, enabling the transfer of power from one device to the other at high efficiency and over a distance range that is useful for real-world applications.