Maritime Battery Forum

What Maritime Battery Forum does

Maritime Battery Forum (MBF) is a non-profit industry association founded in 2014/2015 and headquartered in Bergen, Norway, that serves as a knowledge-sharing platform for maritime battery technology. It brings together over 90 members from more than 20 countries across three continents (Europe, North America, and Asia), including shipowners, operators, battery suppliers, classification societies, research institutions, and other maritime industry stakeholders. The organization is led by Managing Director Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker, with Communications Manager Ayomide Miracle Salifu supporting operations, and governed by a board chaired by Sonja Hansen of Corvus Energy as of 2025.

The forum's core products and services include: a Ship Register tracking maritime battery deployments; quarterly industry reports; topic-specific working groups; the Maritime Battery Academy training program; and the annual WATTS UP conference. It also partners with external organizations (CIMAC for joint whitepapers, DTF Conference, SMM) and participates in EU-funded initiatives such as HYPOBATT, which focuses on standardization for hybrid powertrain batteries in maritime applications.

Revenue is generated primarily through membership fees structured as Full Membership at EUR 4,750/year, Part Membership at EUR 2,375/year, and Observer status at no cost, supplemented by training fees and conference/event revenue. The organization operates with a small team of 1–10 employees, consistent with its non-profit association model.

Name

Maritime Battery Forum

Legal name

Maritime Battery Forum

Website

https://maritimebatteryforum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Maritime Battery Forum is a Bergen-based non-profit industry association with over 90 members across three continents, facilitating knowledge sharing on maritime battery technology through working groups, training, reports, and conferences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Industry Association

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

akta.pro primary industry

Energy Storage Systems for Marine (Batteries, supercapacitors) (IMAJAHAJ)

Keywords

• Maritime battery association
• Battery technology knowledge sharing
• Marine electrification community
• Shipping decarbonization advocacy
• Maritime energy storage network

Headquarters

HQ city

Bergen

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: MBF generates revenue through annual membership fees paid by companies and organizations in the maritime battery ecosystem. Membership provides access to reports, documents, events, the ship register, and member networking platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Maritime Battery Forum (MBF) is a global non-profit membership association that promotes the adoption of safe, efficient battery and energy storage technologies in the maritime industry. It operates as a neutral knowledge-sharing platform, offering members access to the MBF Ship Register (a database of battery-powered vessels), quarterly technology and market reports, working groups on safety and standardization, webinars, training courses through the Maritime Battery Academy, and the WATTS UP APAC conference. The organization connects battery manufacturers, ship owners, shipyards, class societies, research institutes, and regulators across Europe, North America, and Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MBF Membership Annual membership providing companies in the maritime battery ecosystem with access to reports, documents, events, the MBF Ship Register, working groups, and a member networking platform. Available in three tiers: Full Member (companies with 15+ employees, EUR 4,750/year), Part Member (companies with fewer than 15 employees, EUR 2,375/year), and Observer (free for qualifying public authorities, ministries, agencies, universities, and colleges).
• MBF Ship Register A comprehensive database tracking battery-powered vessels globally, including details on vessel type, battery capacity, and operator. Considered one of the most complete global databases for battery-powered vessels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90 member companies across 3 continents (Europe, North America, Asia)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• Maritime Hybrid, Electric & Hydrogen Fuel Cells Conference & ExhibitionminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 October 2026Annual conference where MBF members receive discount codes. Technical experts and decision makers gather to discuss fleet electrification, green corridors, and electric vessels.
• Decarbonizing the Future ConferencemajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 October 2026MBF is partnering with DTF 2026 in Malta where 1,500+ delegates from 30+ countries discuss shore power and port energy systems critical for maritime electrification.
• WATTS UP ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2026MBF organizes the WATTS UP APAC 2026 conference in Singapore (September 23-25, 2026), the largest maritime battery dedicated conference. The event brings together battery producers, integrators, ship owners, ship builders, class societies, and researchers. Building on 12-year legacy.
• SMM (Shipbuilding, Machinery & Marine Technology Trade Fair)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2026MBF attends SMM as a visitor and organizes member meetings during the event. SMM is the most important event in the maritime industry calendar with over 2,200 exhibitors and 49,000 attendees.
• ASEAN Battery Technology ConferenceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 August 2026MBF will attend the ABTC 2026 in Malaysia as a visitor. Conference focuses on battery safety, advanced materials, manufacturing, recycling, and standards development.
• DTF (Decarbonizing the Future Conference)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Strategic partnership for DTF 2026 conference in Malta. MBF collaborates with DTF on discussions around energy systems in ports critical for maritime electrification. MBF members receive discount codes for conference tickets and special exhibitor packages.
• Advanced Maritime Technology Expo & ConferencemajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2026MBF will have booth presence at RAI Amsterdam (June 16-18, 2026), organize 'Which Battery for Your Ship' session with 10 battery manufacturers pitching their systems, and moderate conference sessions on EU battery regulation.
• MARITECH ConferenceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 May 2026MBF organizes the Marine Battery Course at MARITECH in Victoria, BC, providing practical introduction to lithium-ion battery systems for commercial vessels.
• CIMACcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 August 2024Joint whitepaper series on environmental impact of batteries in deep-sea shipping. First paper on use cases and application areas published in 2024, second on regulations, safety, and crew training published in December 2025. CIMAC provides technical expertise through its Greenhouse Gas Strategy Group and Working Groups.
• HYPOBATT ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024MBF participates in the HYPOBATT project which published a whitepaper on Maritime Automated Charging System (MACS), addressing interoperability, safety, and standardization requirements for automated charging in maritime applications.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• DNV: Global classification society and maritime advisory firm. DNV is an MBF member and partner (Battery Scorecard co-publisher), but is a much larger incumbent whose standards, type approvals, and advisory services partially overlap with MBF's safety and standardization agenda.
• Lloyd's Register: Major classification society providing rules, certification, and advisory for maritime battery systems. LR is an MBF member and operates in adjacent territory to MBF on maritime battery safety standards and type approvals.
• Bureau Veritas: International classification society certifying maritime battery systems (e.g., WATTALPS Bureau Veritas Marine Type Approval). A broad incumbent in marine safety certification that overlaps with MBF's safety and standardization work.
• American Bureau of Shipping (ABS): Leading classification society developing rules for hybrid and electric propulsion. ABS is an MBF member and operates in overlapping maritime battery safety and advisory territory.
• Wärtsilä: Global marine technology and services provider offering hybrid and battery energy storage systems. Wärtsilä is an MBF Full Member (visible on website logo wall) and is both a peer in maritime battery technology and a participant/customer in MBF's community.

Direct peers

• Clean Shipping Coalition: International environmental NGO coalition focused on shipping emissions policy at the IMO. Like MBF, it convenes stakeholders around maritime decarbonization but is policy-advocacy-led rather than technology-focused.
• Global Maritime Forum: International non-profit platform convening maritime industry leaders on decarbonization, finance, and policy. Overlaps with MBF on maritime emissions reduction and standards advocacy at a broader (whole-industry) level.
• Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF): Non-profit industry association promoting gas (LNG) as a marine fuel with a similar membership, working-group, and standards-development structure. SGMF is the closest analog to MBF for an alternative maritime decarbonization pathway.
• CIMAC: International Council on Combustion Engines, a global non-profit industry association for marine power and propulsion technologies. CIMAC is MBF's joint whitepaper partner and shares the same membership-association model focused on knowledge sharing and standards for marine power systems.
• SEA\LNG: Multi-stakeholder industry coalition advocating LNG as a marine fuel. Operates with a similar coalition model — bringing together suppliers, ship owners, and ports — and competes for the same maritime decarbonization mindshare as MBF.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Maritime_BF
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maritimebatteryforum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maritime Battery Forum