SIMS with its post-sea campus established in 2003 in Mumbai by Singapore based Executive Ship Management is well-known for offering world-class training for the merchant navy officers sailing in the company's fleet of over 80 vessels including those on board from oil major BP vessels. The collaboration marks a new beginning to its commitment to pursue projects under R&D that will ensure the safety of the seafarers on board ships and bring the latest knowledge to the Indian Shipping Industry.

Nippon Kaiji Kyokai is a leading international ship classification society from Japan and it covers over 20 percent of the world merchant fleet currently under class. The study being commissioned under this R&D collaboration is related to the interaction of alumina with the ship's fuel line. While the abrasive nature of powder alumina and its detrimental effect on the engine are well-known, not much is known regarding its interaction with a ship's fuel line. The team at SIMS, Lonavala will be carrying out systematic experimental investigation to measure this interaction under various conditions.