Building an Innovative Maritime Workforce - Educated and talented workers are the lifeblood of the marine enterprise and a requirement for innovation.  Current and future shortages demand action and innovative approaches.

Introducing New Vessel and System Designs - Aging equipment, changing and expanding global markets, congestion problems, security needs, and search for competitive edge require vehicle and transportation systems R&D to explore possibilities.

Environmental Focusing for the Future - Growing interest in preserving the environment requires a longer term examination of alternative system design possibilities to enable meeting future needs at competitive costs and without delays.

Applying Promising Technologies and Basic Research - Advances in theory and advanced technologies often take place in the background yet can happen quickly if advances and implementation needs are examined in promising areas.

Applying Advances in Human Factors and Risk Assessment - System complexity and demands for increased safety afloat and ashore require further application of human factors and risk assessment sciences to reduce the probability of accidents and increase efficiency.

Strategic Planning for Maritime Systems - Comprehensive and integrated planning for maritime systems are not performed, leaving evolution dependent on chance rather than examining desirable future scenarios for partnered Government and Industry focus.