Thordon Bearings Inc. has partnered with the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) to launch the Thordon Bearings Graduate Scholarship, an annual award that will support exceptional postgraduate students developing solutions to reduce the marine industry’s environmental footprint.
Made possible through a significant contribution from Thordon founder George A. “Sandy” Thomson, the scholarship is intended to inspire the design of greener, cleaner, and more efficient vessels. The award encourages innovation in any area of ship design above or below the waterline which delivers meaningful benefits to noise, air, or water quality.
Applicants are evaluated for: the innovation value and novelty of the idea; technical soundness of the engineering approach; potential for significant environmental improvement; and its practicality of implementation and commercial viability.
“The maritime industry needs bold ideas and determined young engineers,” said Thomson. “SNAME has long been the home of rigorous technical discourse, and supporting students who are passionate about reducing pollution is one of the most impactful ways we can contribute to the future of naval architecture.”
Sandy Thomson has spent more than five decades advancing clean marine technology. He pioneered seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearings in the late 1970s, the innovation which has since prevented the secretion of millions of liters of lubricating oils and greases into oceans, seas and rivers. Thordon’s seawater lubricated bearings have been widely adopted across commercial fleets, inland waterways, and more than 50 navies and coast guards worldwide.
Thomson has long championed SNAME as a vital institution for nurturing excellence in marine engineering. “The Society is key for its role as a forum for open and collegial debate and as a guardian of best practice,” he says.
“By creating this new scholarship, we hope to encourage and inspire the next generation of innovators in ship design and engineering in their work to develop practical and efficient solutions that also protect our precious marine environment.”
Thordon Bearings has built a global reputation by eliminating the need for grease and oil in bearing and seal systems. Today, its technologies are used across ships, hydropower stations, and industrial installations worldwide, reducing maintenance costs while supporting a zero-pollution operational philosophy. The new scholarship is directly aligned with that mission.
With applications already closed for the 2026-2027 academic year, the recipient of the first Thordon Bearings Graduate Scholarship will be announced later this year.
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