Dr Behbood Issa-Zadeh

Biography and Research Interest

Dr Behbood Issa-Zadeh, AFNI, is a maritime academic leader, researcher, and former Ship’s Pilot with extensive experience spanning maritime operations, professional training, and management. He holds BSc and MSc degrees in maritime and nautical disciplines, an MBA in Shipping Logistics, and a PhD in Marine, Ports and Coasts Sustainability from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

His professional career includes more than a decade in marine pilotage, progressing from junior to senior pilot roles, followed by executive leadership of a maritime services company specialising in pilotage, salvage, and wider maritime services. He subsequently transitioned into full-time academia, serving as an Assistant Professor at the International Maritime College Oman before becoming Head of the School of Maritime Science at the University of Gibraltar. Alongside his industry career, he taught maritime subjects, worked as a ship bridge simulator instructor, and served as a verified STCW examiner. He is an Associate Fellow of The Nautical Institute (AFNI) and a Life Member of the International Maritime Lecturers Association (IMLA).

His research spans maritime sustainability, decarbonisation, digital transformation, logistics, maritime pilotage, smart ports, Maritime 4.0, resilient supply chains, and AI-supported decision-making. He also explores future maritime skills, human factors, simulator-based learning, sustainability thinking, and competency development, connecting technology and workforce capability to safer, smarter, and more sustainable maritime systems.

Learning and Teaching Methods – Higher Education Academy (UK) Endorsed

Competency-Based Learning; Experiential Learning; Challenge-Based Learning; Problem-Based Learning; Simulation-Based Learning; Active Learning; Collaborative Learning; Reflective Practice; Industry-Engaged Learning; Authentic Assessment.

Publications

• Sustainability Thinking in Maritime Pilotage Training: Barriers, Enablers, Drivers, and Risks. Future Transportation, 2026, 6, 116. https://doi.org/10.3390/futuretransp6030116
• Maritime Pilotage and Sustainable Seaport: A Systematic Review. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 2025, 13(5), 945.
  https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13050945
• Decarbonizing Seaport Maritime Traffic: Finding Hope. World, 2025, 6(2), 47.
  https://doi.org/10.3390/world6020047
• Enhancing Ship Propulsion Efficiency Predictions with Integrated Physics and Machine Learning. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 2025, 13, 1487.
  https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13081487
• A Scalable Mega-Data Management Framework for Global Offshore Wind Resource Assessment: From ERA5 Reanalysis to Machine-Learning-Ready Datasets. Journal of Maritime Research, Special Issue, 2026, pp. 184–197.
  https://www.jmr.unican.es/jmr/en/article/view/1646
• Integrating Sustainability Thinking in Maritime Education. Cogent Education, 2025, 12(1), 2479205. DOI: 10.1080/2331186X.2025.2479205
• Unveiling the Sensitivity Analysis of Port Carbon Footprint via Power Alternative Scenarios: A Deep Dive into the Valencia Port Case Study. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 2024, 12(8), 1290. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12081290
• Towards International Maritime Organization Carbon Targets: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Analysis for Sustainable Container Shipping. Sustainability, 2023, 15(24), 16834. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416834
• Optimizing Smart Energy Infrastructure in Smart Ports: A Systematic Scoping Review of Carbon Footprint Reduction. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 2023, 11(10), 1921. DOI: 10.3390/jmse11101921
• A Framework for Accurate Carbon Footprint Calculation in Seaports: Methodology Proposal. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 2023, 11(5), 1007.
  https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11051007
• Scope of the Literature on Efforts to Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Seaports. Sustainability, 2023, 15(11), 8558. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118558
• Enhancing Urban Sustainability: Unravelling Carbon Footprint Reduction in Smart Cities through Modern Supply Chain Measures. Smart Cities, 2023, 6(6), 143.
  https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities6060143