Our editorial board includes high-level researchers and experts in technology, engineering, transportation, sustainable development, and artificial intelligence.
Editor-in-Chief
Aleksandr Kondratenko, DSc
Dr. Aleksandr Kondratenko graduated from the doctoral program in engineering at Aalto University in Finland. He is a research fellow at the Technical University of Sofia. For more than 13 years, he has been actively advancing research in sustainable development, optimization of ships and maritime transportation systems (e.g., for open and ice-covered waters), and studying the possible ways of shipping decarbonization. He has published more than 30 peer-reviewed journal publications, conference papers, and books in reputable sources like Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. During the last five years, he completed more than 55 peer reviews for leading journals, including Transportation Research, Ocean Engineering, Ocean and Coastal Management, IEEE Access, and Journal of Engineering for the Maritime Environment. In his career, he has been affiliated with organizations in diverse countries, including Aalto University (Finland), Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), Technical University Sofia (Bulgaria), and Kotka Maritime Research Centre (Finland).
Senior Editors
Prof. Pentti Kujala, DSc
Prof. Pentti Kujala has been working on the safety of ships both in open water and in ice. His main research interests during a 40-year-long career have been devoted to full-scale measurements of ice-induced loads and analysis of the ice load statistics, simulation of ship performance in ice, development of advanced structural solutions for ships, and development of system-level safety of marine traffic. He has also been Vice Dean of the School of Engineering at Aalto University, with the main duties related to the Impact and Innovation activities of the School. He has extensive national and international co-operation heading, e.g., the Center of Excellence for safe Arctic shipping funded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation from London (http://cearctic.aalto.fi/en/)
Fang Li, Prof., DSc
Prof. Fang Li is an Associate Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU). He received his bachelor’s degree from Dalian University of Technology and went on to receive a dual master’s degree through a joint program between the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and Aalto University. He completed his D.Sc. and postdoctoral research at Aalto University in Finland before joining SJTU in 2022. He is a recipient of the China national-level “Young Talent” program. His research focuses on polar marine engineering—particularly data-driven evaluation of ship and offshore-structure performance in ice, ice mechanics and load modeling, ship navigation and icebreaking, and voyage planning strategies for polar regions. He has published over 60 scientific papers and received over 600 citations. He has been acting as a reviewer for about 20 scientific journals and conferences. Joined the Editorial Board: June 2025.
Alex Topaj, Dr. habil., PhD
Dr. Alex Topaj graduated from Saint-Petersburg State Polytechnic University with a Mr. Sci. Tech. degree in mechanics, applied mathematics, and control processes. For more than 35 years, Alex worked in environmental simulation at the Agrophysical Research Institute, where he held the position of head of the laboratory of mathematical modeling of agroecosystems until 2019. During that time, he defended Ph.D. thesis in 1995 and Dr. Sci thesis in 2010. Since 2016 he has changed the focus of interests towards many interdisciplinary R&D and academic projects, applying mathematical modeling in various subject areas, e.g., polar shipping (ice-routing, agent-based simulation of full-scale transportation systems), logistics, supply chain and industrial engineering. In recent years he worked as Deputy Director of Science in a private commercial company Bureau Hyperborea. His activity there is mainly related to simulation (both discrete-event and agent-based) in ocean engineering, maritime logistics, supply chain digitalization and Arctic shipping, as well as IT development. In 2025, he co-founded the «Argestes» company in Montenegro focusing on performing research studies in the field of simulation modeling and analysis of marine transportation systems and implementation of original applied solutions at the intersection of applied mathematics and ocean engineering. Joined the Editorial Board: May 2025.
Mingyang Zhang, DSc
Dr. Mingyang Zhang earned his Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree from Aalto University, Finland, in 2023, and currently serves as a postdoctoral researcher at Aalto University. His primary research interests lie in advancing ship safety and fostering intelligent transportation systems through the integration of cutting-edge technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and deep learning (DL). His work is dedicated to developing intelligent decision-making methods that hold significant potential to support autonomous ship operations and intelligent maritime transportation systems. Dr. Zhang has an extensive publication record, with over 100 refereed works in maritime safety and intelligent decision-making, including 3 book chapters and 70 articles indexed in the Science Citation Index (SCI), amassing over 3,300 citations and achieving an h-index of 29. He serves in editorial roles across six journals within ocean engineering, maritime transport, and artificial intelligence, including positions as editor, associate editor, guest editor, and editorial board member. In both 2023 and 2024, Dr. Zhang was recognized among the Top 2% of Scientists Worldwide, as reported by Stanford University. Joined the Editorial Board: June 2025.
Associate Editors
Cong Liu, DSc
Dr. Cong Liu earned her Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) from Aalto University, Finland, and she currently serves as a postdoctoral researcher at Aalto. Her research centers on data-driven decision support in shipping, with a focus on machine learning, data integration and analysis, and maritime traffic modeling, particularly in ice-covered waters. Her work contributes to improving the efficiency and intelligent development of maritime traffic systems. Dr. Liu has published 20 peer-reviewed papers and serves as a reviewer for multiple scientific journals and conferences, like Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, Ocean Engineering, and Transportation Research Part E. Joined the Editorial Board: July 2025.
Anna Oksina, PhD
Dr. Anna Oksina earned her doctorate in Mechanical Engineering and Marine Technology from the University of Rostock, Germany. She is a highly regarded researcher in CAE Engineering at Blum Group, Austria. With over 11 years of experience, Dr. Oksina has played a leading role in advancing research on dynamic loads, progressive collapse of large structures, the Idealized Structural Unit Method (ISUM), and high-fidelity simulations of flap mechanisms and guide systems. Her work is recognized for bridging academic insight with industrial application in structural analysis and computational mechanics. Joined the Editorial Board: May 2025.
ISSN 3087-5706 (Online)
