Cooperative Research Ships
It has no office.
It has no personnel.
It has no director.
But it exists and it has flourished for 50 years: The Cooperative Research Ships (CRS). Here we present its simple secret: cooperation by committed people.
It has no personnel.
It has no director.
But it exists and it has flourished for 50 years: The Cooperative Research Ships (CRS). Here we present its simple secret: cooperation by committed people.
Research of the members, by the members, for the members
Public-Private Partnership (PPS) is popular nowadays. But it often means a lot of talking, paperwork and complex governance. It seems to require directors and offices.
CRS is different. For 50 years now, 20-25 maritime organisations perform research
in the maritime field together for a yearly budget of around € 1.5 million Euros.
Typically 10 working groups investigate topics that are of common interest to its members.
A simple organisation for complex research
CRS brings together shipyards, ship owners, navies, equipment suppliers,
classification societies and research organisations.
All just based on a gentlemen’s agreement (the ‘CRS Guidelines’)
and joint decision-making at the Open Meeting and Annual General Meeting.
A simple organisation to stimulate complex research.
Active participation by all members
The CRS is real cooperative research. Members are not just paying their yearly fee:
they are expected to be actively involved in the research work itself.
So all the CRS members perform tasks in research projects,
participate actively in working groups and form a network of specialists.
An open network, where competitors are willing to share knowledge and experience.
Sharing, cooperation, commitment
For its members CRS provides a maritime knowledge base, practical tools
and improved insight into design technology and operational performance.
Over the years, CRS has become a unique community,
in which sharing and cooperation are normal.
It has created friendships based on the large commitment of the people and companies involved.
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