iacs.org.uk

The IACS End User Workshop (EUW) is an open industry event run by the International Association of Classification Societies. The 18th edition will be held at Brewers' Hall, London, over 1.5 days: Wednesday 18 November and the morning of Thursday 19 November. According to IACS, the invitation is extended to anyone who would like to attend, and details plus registration are reached through the "Read More" link on the workshop item on iacs.org.uk. If you work with classification, ship design, fuels, or regulation and want direct exposure to IACS technical work, this is the event to plan around.

What the workshop is

IACS describes itself as focused on "safer and cleaner shipping" and on developing new instruments for emerging technologies and fuels. The EUW is the format where that work is presented to and discussed with end users — the people who apply IACS rules and positions in practice. The site frames the 18th EUW as open to "anyone who would like to attend," so it is not limited to IACS member societies.

Key details at a glance

How to attend

1. Go to iacs.org.uk and locate the "IACS End User Workshop" item in the Latest News section.
2. Open the "Read More" link on that item. This is the page IACS uses for workshop details and attendance information.
3. Check the page for the registration route and any capacity or deadline notes before booking travel to London.
4. Confirm the dates against your calendar: the programme runs a full day on Wednesday 18 November and only the morning of Thursday 19 November, so plan an overnight stay if you are travelling in.

Expected result: you end up on the official EUW page with the current attendance instructions, rather than relying on second-hand summaries.

What to expect from the content

IACS's published positions give a good indication of the subjects in play. Its current position papers cover:

• Safety aspects of new technologies and fuels — developing instruments that use industry standards and best practices, aiming for inherently safer designs compliant with the IGF Code and related regulations.
• Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) — contributing through relevant forums, technical expertise, and partnerships with regulators and industry stakeholders.
• GHG emissions from ships — supporting IMO goal-based regulations and helping develop practical detail requirements and implementation of technical and operational measures.
• Nuclear propulsion — supporting safe, secure, and environmentally responsible integration of nuclear power into ship design and operations.

If your work touches any of these areas, the workshop is a chance to hear the reasoning behind the positions rather than just the published text.

Common pitfalls

• Assuming it is members-only. The site explicitly extends the invitation to anyone who would like to attend, but you still need to register through the official page.
• Planning for two full days. Thursday is a morning session only; build your travel around that.
• Relying on third-party event listings. Dates, venue, and registration are stated on iacs.org.uk — use the "Read More" link there as the source of truth.

Is it worth attending?

Attend if you need to understand how IACS is translating its positions on fuels, autonomy, GHG measures, and nuclear propulsion into practical requirements — the workshop puts you in the room with that work. Skip it if you only need the published positions, which are already available as position papers on the site. For anyone deciding, the low-friction test is simple: open the EUW page, check the registration details, and see whether the agenda matches a decision you actually face.

IACS supports the IMO's goal-based regulations as the appropriate global means of addressing greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction from ships. Its stated role is twofold: help develop the practical, detailed technical requirements behind those goals, and support implementation of the proposed technical and operational measures. The full position is set out in IACS's GHG emissions position paper, available from iacs.org.uk.

The core position

IACS frames its stance around one principle: GHG reduction measures should be addressed globally through the IMO's goal-based framework rather than through fragmented regional rules. Within that framework, IACS positions itself as a technical contributor — translating goal-based requirements into workable detail and helping turn proposed measures into implementable practice.

This matters because goal-based regulation sets outcomes (emissions targets, efficiency objectives) but leaves the "how" to technical detail. IACS's contribution sits in that gap: the specifics that ships, designers, and surveyors actually apply.

What IACS says it will do

The position paper is the authoritative source for the full argument and any conditions attached to these commitments.

How this fits IACS's wider work

The GHG position sits alongside other IACS position papers on emerging topics — new technologies and fuels (including safety aspects under the IGF Code), maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS), and nuclear propulsion. Read together, they show a consistent approach: engage with regulators and industry, contribute technical expertise, and push for requirements that are both safer and practically implementable.

For anyone tracking how shipping's decarbonisation rules will be shaped in detail — not just at the target-setting level — the GHG position paper is the document to read. It is published on iacs.org.uk under Position Papers.

IACS frames the safety of new technologies and fuels around one goal: developing new instruments that make emerging designs inherently safer, built on industry standards and best practices and aligned with the IGF Code and other relevant regulations. On iacs.org.uk this work is presented as a dedicated position paper, "Safety Aspects of New Technologies and Fuels," which is the entry point for anyone who wants the association's detailed view.

What IACS actually commits to

The position paper sets out a three-part approach:

• New instruments for new risks. As technologies and fuels move beyond established practice, IACS says it is focused on developing new requirements rather than stretching old ones.
• Industry standards and best practices as the foundation. The work draws on what the industry already uses, instead of inventing parallel rules.
• Inherently safer design. The stated aim is to reduce risk at the design stage, with compliance to the IGF Code and other relevant regulations as the baseline.

The IGF Code reference matters: it is the international code for ships using gases or other low-flashpoint fuels, so the position paper is squarely about fuel and technology transitions, not general ship safety.

Where this sits among IACS positions

The same page groups this paper with other technology-facing positions, which helps you see the scope:

Read together, these show a consistent method: use goal-based IMO regulation, then help turn it into practical detail.

How to use the page

If you need the primary source, go to iacs.org.uk and open the Position Papers section, then select "Safety Aspects of New Technologies and Fuels." The page also lists an Annual Review and a recurring IACS End User Workshop — the 18th edition is announced for Brewers' Hall, London, over 1.5 days starting Wednesday 18 November, with the invitation extended to anyone who would like to attend. That workshop is a practical route if you want to raise implementation questions directly.

What this means in practice

For a designer, operator or regulator working on a low-flashpoint fuel or a novel technology, the IACS position signals the expected direction: start from the IGF Code and recognised industry standards, and aim for design-level safety rather than added controls. The position paper is the document to cite when you need to show that alignment. Note that the page describes positions and activities; it does not publish the technical requirements themselves, which sit in the relevant codes and IACS instruments.

IACS engages with both topics primarily through position papers and active participation in regulatory and industry forums. On maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS), IACS states it aims to contribute to MASS development by participating in relevant forums, leveraging its maritime technical expertise, and building partnerships with regulators and industry stakeholders. On nuclear propulsion, IACS says it is committed to supporting the industry in ensuring the safe, secure, and environmentally responsible integration of nuclear power into ship design and operations. Both positions are published as separate position papers on iacs.org.uk, so the engagement is a policy and technical-contribution role rather than a certification or approval service described on the site.

Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS)

IACS frames its MASS work around three activities named on its website:

• Forum participation — taking part in the relevant forums where MASS rules and practices are discussed.
• Technical expertise — applying its maritime technical knowledge to the development of MASS.
• Partnerships — fostering strong relationships with regulators and industry stakeholders.

This matters if you are tracking how autonomous-ship requirements may evolve: IACS positions itself as a technical voice feeding into those discussions, not as the rulemaker. The IMO remains the body whose goal-based regulations IACS references elsewhere on the site (for example on GHG measures), and IACS describes its role as assisting in developing practical detail requirements and implementation.

Nuclear Propulsion

For nuclear propulsion, the stated commitment is narrower and safety-focused: supporting the industry to ensure nuclear power is integrated into ship design and operations in a way that is safe, secure, and environmentally responsible. The site presents this as a position paper rather than a set of technical rules or an approval pathway.

Where to Find the Positions

Both topics appear on the iacs.org.uk home page under "Latest News" and "Position Papers," each with its own "Read Position Paper" link:

The same news area also lists position papers on safety aspects of new technologies and fuels (aligned with the IGF Code) and on GHG emissions from ships, which are useful context if your interest is in how IACS treats emerging technology and fuel safety generally.

Practical Notes

• If you need the official wording, go to the position paper linked from each item rather than relying on the summary excerpt — the home page only gives a short abstract.
• If you are looking for rules or certification, the site describes IACS's role here as technical contribution and support; the excerpts do not describe a class-approval or certification process for MASS or nuclear vessels.
• If you want to engage directly, the site also advertises the 18th IACS End User Workshop at Brewers' Hall, London, over 1.5 days (Wednesday 18 November and the morning of Thursday 19 November), with an open invitation to anyone who would like to attend — a practical route to hear the technical work first-hand.

iacs.org.uk is the website of IACS, the International Association of Classification Societies, and it presents the organisation's work under the theme "Safer and Cleaner Shipping." The site is aimed at the shipping industry, regulators and other maritime stakeholders, and its main published content consists of news, position papers and an annual review. It is a place to read about IACS's technical and policy positions, not a general encyclopedia of shipping.

What the site covers

The homepage is organised around a few clear content types:

• Latest News – short updates on the association's activities and events.
• Position Papers – IACS's formal views on technical and regulatory topics, each with a "Read Position Paper" link.
• Annual Review – a periodic overview of the organisation's work.
• "Safer And Cleaner Shipping" – the framing theme for the site's content.

The position papers are the most substantive material. From the homepage, the topics currently featured are:

Who it is for and how to use it

If you want to know where IACS stands on a specific technical or regulatory question — new fuels, autonomous ships, emissions or nuclear propulsion — the position papers are the place to start, since each one states the association's approach in its own words. If you are tracking the organisation's activities or events, the news section is the quicker route.

One concrete example: the site announces the 18th IACS End User Workshop (EUW), to be held at Brewers' Hall, London, over 1.5 days — Wednesday 18 November and the morning of Thursday 19 November — with an invitation extended to anyone who would like to attend. Details are behind a "Read More" link, so check that page for attendance specifics rather than assuming arrangements from the homepage summary.

What to keep in mind

The homepage gives summaries and links, not full documents; the substance sits in the linked position papers and review. The site does not present itself as a pricing or membership portal, and nothing in the available material indicates costs or access restrictions either way — treat the published papers as public-facing statements and confirm any event or participation details on the linked pages.