Monday, March 29, 2021

Tiny Belgium Think Tank Making Waves

It may not have the name recognition of the Heritage Foundation and Brookings Institution, or the foreign policy chops of a think tank like Atlantic Council, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, or Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), but a tiny Belgium policy shop could be the most important think tank of March 2021.

The Knowledge Center for Maneuvering in Shallow and Confined Water, a think tank housed within Belgium's Ghent University, has received outsized attention in the wake of the Ever Given container ship being stuck in the Suez Canal.

The think tank was established to "fix, extend, and provide scientific know-how on the behavior of vessels in shallow or confined navigation areas."  Its URL is https://www.shallowwater.be.  And as far as Think Tank Watch knows, it is the only think tank with its own towing tank.

Twitter is abuzz with delight.  One commentator says it was a missed opportunity that they didn't choose the name "Licensed to Keel."  Another said it is more like a "sink tank" than a think tank.  Another said that its motto should be "we don't have deep thoughts."  Another said, "it's not a think tank it's a think tanker."

We're just glad that the think tank is making waves because a rising tide lifts all boats.