The University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) and the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NA&ME) department in the College of Engineering have collaborated on two new initiatives: the Michigan Maritime Strategy and a new Engineering Sustainable Systems dual-degree program. 

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UPDATE

The Office of the Great Lakes in the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy announced on April 27, 2026, that the Michigan Maritime Strategy, a first-of-its-kind, 10-year plan designed to unlock economic growth and create well-paying jobs across Michigan’s multibillion-dollar maritime industry, has been finalized. 

"The Michigan Maritime Strategy recommends many critical pathways and solutions to advance this sector. Now bold action is urgently needed for implementation, including speeding up electrification of recreational boats and equipment at ports and use of clean fuels for ferries and other vessels," says SEAS Professor Greg Keoleian, co-PI of the University of Michigan team that helped develop the report. 

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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer released the Michigan maritime strategy on Jan. 27, developed by a University of Michigan team, led by Thomas McKenney, the PI, and co-PI Greg Keoleian. SEAS and the NA&ME department have also announced a new dual-degree offering that will allow students to become leaders in maritime sustainability.

The strategy, which intersects with the state's goals to transform its transportation system by 2045 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050, can position Michigan as a national maritime leader. It was developed in close collaboration with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; the Michigan Department of Transportation; the Michigan Department of Natural Resources; and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and through consultation with over 200 stakeholders across the state representing environmental and health organizations, business and industry, community members and Tribal governments. 

"While everyone had a unique perspective and viewpoints, all participants emphasized their strong belief that Michigan can do more and is well-positioned to become a national maritime leader," says McKenney, an associate professor of practice of NA&ME. "Our holistic approach to maritime development beyond just shipping freight brought together groups that wouldn't normally engage. That allowed us to develop a strategy grounded in the needs and opportunities identified by those most closely connected to Michigan's maritime future."

The strategy sets goals for achieving four strategic objectives for Michigan’s maritime sector, a major contributor to its economy:

1. Modernize the state's maritime infrastructure
2. Invest in maritime research and education
3. Accelerate a clean-energy transition
4. Enhance the environmental and economic resilience of Michigan's ports, harbors and waterfronts.

"This strategy will generate tremendous benefits from creating Michigan jobs in maritime manufacturing and shipbuilding, investing in harbor communities and ports, advancing the clean energy transition and climate action goals, as well as enhancing stewardship of the Great Lakes ecosystem for fishing, recreation, habitat protection and ensuring Tribal rights," says Keoleian, professor of Sustainable Systems at SEAS and co-director of the Center for Sustainabile Systems (CSS).

The state will achieve its strategic objectives by:

• Modernizing Michigan's ports and improving their road and rail connections
• Growing Michigan's maritime manufacturing economy and supply chain
• Developing biofuel supply chains
• Assessing and investing in vessels that run on ammonia, methanol and green hydrogen fuels, along with the associated fueling equipment
• Supporting the electrification of recreational boats and ferries
• Launching a holistic maritime education and workforce initiative that aligns curricula across colleges and universities and expands skilled labor programs
• Partnering with research institutions and industry to develop maritime technology demonstration zones
• Cultivating regional innovation hubs to speed up the commercialization of new technology
• Increasing the resilience of recreational harbors and marinas by funding repairs, upgrades and accessible boat and kayak launches
• Promoting certification programs and best practices to protect public trust resources, combat invasive species and keep waterways clean

Starting in Fall 2026, graduate students can enroll in a new SEAS and NA&ME Engineering Sustainable Systems dual degree program, positioning them to contribute to the objectives outlined in the state’s strategy and beyond. Keoleian says that, in addition to economic development, the clean energy transition and sustainability objectives, the Michigan Maritime Strategy also emphasizes research, innovation and workforce development, which this new dual-degree program addresses.  

“As interest in this sector grows, U-M is uniquely positioned to lead the nation in maritime sustainability education as we have the only research university in the U.S. with a stand-alone NA&ME department, along with unmatched interdisciplinary expertise from SEAS,” says Keoleian. 

Other members of the U-M team included Owen Baldwin (MS ’26), a dual-degree master’s student in environmental engineering and sustainable systems; Logan Cox, a master's student in NA&ME; Geoffrey Lewis, a research specialist in CSS; and Shoshannah Lenski, former associate director of CSS.

Read more about the Michigan maritime strategy in the full press release on the U-M College of Engineering website.