U.S. MarAd Administrator to address SHIPPINGInsight’s PROJECT 2027 conference in Houston

U.S. Maritime Administrator Captain Stephen Carmel, will deliver the opening keynote address at SHIPPINGInsight’s ‘PROJECT 2027: Catalyzing the U.S. Maritime Industry into Action’ conference, powered by AMIC (American Maritime Industrial Coalition), to be held October 13, 2026, in Houston, Texas. His remarks, entitled ‘State of Play for U.S. Maritime’, will assess the current condition of the nation's maritime capabilities and outline priorities for the industry going forward.

The address comes as federal agencies, Congress, and private industry pursue a coordinated effort to rebuild U.S. maritime capacity. PROJECT 2027 is structured around that effort, bringing together representatives from shipping, ports, shipbuilding, technology, energy, logistics, defence, and workforce development to discuss specific steps toward implementation.

"Administrator Carmel has issued a clear call to develop a maritime SYSTEM in order to revitalize our critical maritime industry” said Carleen Lyden Walker, Co-Founder and CEO of SHIPPINGInsight. “Our goal with PROJECT 2027 is to deliver the strategy and action steps to deliver that maritime system.”

The MarAd Administrator’s participation carries particular weight given the timing of his tenure. Confirmed by the Senate in December 2025, he took office charged with implementing the Administration's Executive Order on Restoring Maritime Dominance and advancing the broader Maritime Action Plan (MAP) to rebuild the domestic fleet and shipbuilding base.

Capt. Carmel's keynote will open a full day of programming addressing the practical steps required to rebuild U.S. maritime capacity.