MSC Partners with China Institute on Seafarer Assessment
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has partnered with China’s Water Transport Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport to develop a new seafarer competency assessment. The cooperation agreement, signed formally, focuses on seafarer full competency assessment and capacity enhancement.
The project represents the first deliverable stemming from the cooperation consensus reached by both parties in May 2026, where the two organisations initially agreed to explore joint initiatives covering green shipping and maritime talent development. The partnership will jointly research and create a structured competency assessment model for seafarers, alongside the development of a supporting intelligent digital system. Once fully rolled out, the system will deliver more scientific, data-driven evaluation tools for shipowners to recruit, screen and nurture skilled seafarers, while offering clear career planning pathways for maritime professionals.
Liu Peng, President of the Water Transport Research Institute, noted that the two parties have steadily expanded exchanges and collaboration since 2025, advancing industry-university-research-application integration across a wide spectrum of maritime domains including shipping carbon footprint accounting, electrification of port handling equipment and supply chains for green marine fuels.
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Marie-Caroline Laurent, Senior Vice President of Maritime Policy and Government Affairs at MSC, stated that the company aims to advance all-round cooperation with Water Transport Research Institute in seafarer capacity building and vocational training, with concrete plans to scale up its recruitment of Chinese seafarers to support the carrier’s expanding global fleet.
MSC has been actively growing its Chinese seafarer talent pool and established its China Seafarer Recruitment & Placement Centre in Ningbo in June 2026, operated by its subsidiary, MSC Ship Management (Ningbo). Serving as MSC’s nationwide seafarer recruitment platform in China, the centre bridges Chinese seafarers to the global shipping market and undertakes the full scope of seafarer recruitment, training and crew management. Ningbo Zhoushan Port is a major node within MSC’s global network, hosting more than 800 vessel calls by MSC ships each year.
