tAFSIR MATIN JOHANSSON
ASSOCIATE professor
Research Area
- Law of the Sea
- Marine Technology Governance
- Human-Autonomy Ecosystem for BBNJ
- International Law and Remote Inspection Techniques
- Moot Court Advocacy
- Ship Recycling
- Marine Technology
Region
- European Union
- United States
- Bay of Bengal
Current Topic
- Marine Technology
- Climate Justice
- Maritime Decarbonization
- Human Rights & Climate Change
publications
Impact of Climate Emergency on Shipping
Jawara, L., and Johansson, T. (2025) Analyzing the Impact of Climate Emergency on Shipping through Analogical Interpretation, Ocean Yearbook, Volume 38
Climate Emergency Impacts and Adaptations in Shipping
Jawara, L. and Johansson, T. (2025) “Climate Emergency Impacts and Adaptations in Shipping: Analogical Policy Formulation and Recommendations”, Journal of International Maritime Safety, Environmental Affairs, and Shipping, Volume 9, Issue 1
The Use of Emerging Autonomous Technologies for Ocean Monitoring
Pastra, A., Johansson, T., Soares, J. and Muller-Karger, F. (2025) The Use of Emerging Autonomous Technologies for Ocean Monitoring: Insights and Legal Challenges, Frontiers in Marine Science.
Seaworthiness and Protecting the Ocean
Johansson, T., Pastra, A. and Q. Mejia Jr., Maximo (2024) “Seaworthiness and Protecting the Ocean: Maritime Remote Inspection Technologies”, International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law, Brill.
Autonomous Vessel in Maritime Affairs
Johansson, T.; Dalaklis, D.; Echebarria Fernandez, J.; Pastra, A. and Skinner, J. (2023) eds., "Autonomous Vessel in Maritime Affairs: Law & Governance Implications", Palgrave Macmillan
Smart Ports & Robotic Systems
Johansson, T.; Echebarria Fernandez, J.; Dalaklis, D.; Pastra, A. and Lennan, M. (2023) eds., "Smart Ports & Robotic Systems: Navigating the Waves of Techno-regulation & Governance", Palgrave Macmillan.
International Standards for Hull Inspection
Johansson, T. (2022) International Standards for Hull Inspection and Maintenance of Robotics and Autonomous Systems (2022) in “Emerging Technology and the Law of the Sea” (James Kraska and Young-Kil Park, (eds.)), Cambridge University Press.
Role of Ports in Global Decarbonization
Christodolou, A.; Pastra, A.; Doelle, M. and Johansson, T. (2021) “Four Spheres of Influence: The Critical Role of Ports in Global Decarbonization Efforts”, Ocean Yearbook, Volume 35.
Environmental Policy Frameworks for Ports
Doelle, M. and Johansson, T. and Pastra, A. (2023) “Environmental Policy Frameworks for Ports: In Search of a Gold Standard”, Ocean Yearbook, Volume 37.
Trust ecosystem for remote inspection technologies in ship hull inspections
Pastra, A., Schauffel, N., Ellwart, T., & Johansson, T. (2022). Building a trust ecosystem for remote inspection technologies in ship hull inspections. Journal of Law, Innovation and Technology, 14(2), 474–497.
Addressing the Hazards of Remote Inspection Techniques
Pastra, A., Johansson, T, Alexandropoulou, V., Trivyza, N. L. and Kontaxaki, K., ‘Addressing the Hazards of Remote Inspection Techniques: A Safety-Net for Vessel Surveys’ (2023) 16 Journal of Law, Innovation and Technology 43–76.
Stakeholder Participation in Marine Spatial Planning in the Bay of Bengal
Mannan, S.; Nilsson, H.; Johansson, T. and Schofield, C. (2020) “Stakeholder Participation in Marine Spatial Planning in the Bay of Bengal: A Bangladesh Perspective”, 16(1) Journal of the Indian Ocean Region.
Highlight of events & activities
12th ANNUAL World Ocean Summit & EXPO
Ocean governance: designing solutions to the “triple planetary crisis”
Strategy Session
third UN Ocean Conference (unoc)
Lloyd’s Register Offsite Event “Turning ideas into action – championing the role of engineers in building a safe and sustainable ocean economy”
Panelist, IMO Delegation
48th Annual Conference on Oceans Law and Policy (COLP48)
Marine Technology Saint or Liability Taint? Provoking the Margins of Public International Law
Expert Interview
Marine Technology and the Law of the Sea
Contemporary Legal Issues and Emerging Trends
International Workshop
UNCLOS in the 21st Century Legal Challenges in an Evolving Maritime Domain
Liability for Marine Technology in the High Seas: Codified Roots, Progressive Shoots
Workshop Presentation
Ocean Development and International Law Presentation
Biologging, Marine Scientific Research and UNCLOS: Toward a Third Paradigm
Presentation
Dr. Tafsir Matin Johansson joined the World Maritime University (WMU) in 2013 and currently serves as an Associate Professor in Ocean Sustainability, Governance, and Management at the WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute (WMU-GOI) in Malmö, Sweden.
Dr. Johansson holds a Ph.D. in Maritime Affairs from WMU --- supported by the Government of Canada --- and an LL.M. in Maritime Law from the University of Lund in Sweden. His academic and research portfolio is rooted in international and national laws and policies related to maritime and marine technology, as well as artificial intelligence, for a changing and dynamic ocean governance. At WMU-GOI, he leads cutting-edge research, teaches across interdisciplinary fields, and supervises postdoctoral, Ph.D., and MSc candidates.
Dr. Johansson has had impactful publications on Arctic governance, marine pollution, maritime decarbonization, trust and liability associated with remote inspection tech, climate resilience, fisheries and politics, and the evolving legal frameworks shaping autonomous ocean systems for the protection of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.
He has led and contributed to numerous high-profile, interdisciplinary research projects, including long-standing regulatory development initiatives funded by Transport Canada since 2014, and work under Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan. His collaborations span organizations such as the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU), the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM), and the Danish Shipowners’ Association.
In 2024, Dr. Johansson completed his role as Co-Principal Investigator on the EU Horizon 2020 project BUGWRIGHT2: Overcoming Regulatory Barriers for Service Robotics in an Ocean Industry Context, receiving high commendation from the European Commission.
Currently, he serves as Principal Investigator for the Ocean Technology and AI pillar of the Nippon Foundation’s Future of the Oceans programme, and for a Decarbonization in the Eastern Mediterranean project funded by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation.
Dr. Johansson is a guest lecturer at various international universities, a member of the ESG Shipping Awards judging committee, and serves on the editorial board of Ocean Development and International Law, a reputed and leading journal in the field.