Bardex’s Own Robert Taylor Recognized for Significant Maritime Engineering Achievements, Contributions at Sea-Air-Space 2025

Taylor has been named the winner of the Albert A. Michelson Award by the Navy League of the United States, whose mission is to support and strengthen U.S. sea services – the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and U.S.-flag Merchant Marines – through education and advocacy.

Bardex couldn’t be more pleased to announce that Robert Taylor, principal engineer for shipyard solutions, has won the Navy League’s Albert A. Michelson Award. The award honors a civilian innovator whose work has significantly benefittedthe U.S. maritime forces or its industrial-technology base. Taylor was recognized for his invaluable work in shiplift systems.

He has spent the past 15 years improving chain shiplift systems, which provide significantly greater operational efficiency than graving or floating drydocks. By enabling the transfer of vessels onto land, the ability to perform maintenance and repairs efficiently and safely – which is critical to U.S. maritime strength – is limited only by the available space in a shipyard, not by the number of drydocks.

Taylor is listed on four patents, three of which are first authorships, and three additional patents pending. He has contributed to the advancement of floating (mobile) shiplift systems, preliminary designs of a shiplift with the capacity to lift aircraft carriers, and breakthroughs in transfer systems.  

The Navy League, which plays a vital role in engaging the public and Congress on the importance of sea services to national security, economic prosperity, and global stability, presented Taylor with the award at Sea-Air-Space 2025. The exposition, which took place April 7– 9, brought together leaders in the defense industry and military decision-makers from around the world to share and learn about significant maritime advances.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Navy League’s Albert A. Michelson Award. This recognition celebrates our collective spirit of innovation in maritime technology. I’m especially proud that our groundbreaking work in shiplifts not only redefines ship handling but also delivers a much safer alternative to traditional drydocking. Our shiplift systems reduce downtime and minimize risks to vessels and personnel, ultimately enhancing both yard efficiency and national security. I share this honor with my dedicated team, whose unwavering commitment to excellence continues to drive our progress in advancing maritime operations.”

– Robert Taylor, Principal Engineer for Shipyard Solutions at Bardex

This recognition joins a considerable list of Taylor’s professional accomplishments and contributions to improving ports and shipyards across the globe over his nearly 40-year career.Some of the more recent highlights include:

• Irving Shipbuilding 27,000Te OmniLift^TM Shiplift: Serving as the Engineer of Record responsible for the design of the 165-meter shiplift. The system will include fifty-six 75-metric ton chain jack lift stations and will support Irving’s River-class destroyer shipbuilding program, a part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy and the most complex Canadian shipbuilding program since World War II.

• Lloyd’s Code: Served on the panel responsible for 2024 CLAME revisions to improve shipyard safety. Learn more by visiting Bardex or Workboat.

• 35th PIANC World Congress: Presented the paper entitled, Improving Multi-Use Ports through Key Design Parameters (available upon request).

• 3rd PIANC Asia Pacific Conference: Presented the paper entitled, OmniLift Littoral Heavy Lift System Design (available upon request).

• Royal United Services Institute of Nova Scotia: Invited speaker, delivering the presentation entitled, Drydocking Technology: Naval Support Infrastructure.

• Drydock Magazine: Feature Q&A article, entitled, Preventing Drydock Accidents: A 3-Pronged Approach.

Without argument, Taylor’s CV reflects a distinguished career. Perhaps what’s more telling is how Rob’s colleagues and clients see him: as a creative and intelligent problem-solver with the rare ability to communicate about complex issues as clearly as he thinks them through. From all of us at Bardex, congratulations, Rob, on the win.

About Bardex: Bardex provides novel engineering insights and designs, prototypes, and manufactures proprietary equipment to solve the marine industry’s heaviest challenges.  For over 60 years – and 300+ projects for shipyards, oil and gas companies, and the burgeoning offshore wind industry – the Bardex mindset has always been to be a trusted, collaborative partner whose first step in any project is to understand exactly what the client needs to accomplish. That approach has produced more than 20 patents, many repeat clients, and countless innovations that make the seemingly impossible possible, while improving safety, efficiency, and profitability for a diverse range of applications. Bardex manufacturing facilities are ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certified.  To learn more, visit https://www.bardex.com.

Subscribe for Daily Maritime Insights

Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update

— trusted by our 109,118 members