The in-person power

The hall is packed with freshly ironed shirts, strong handshakes are given to old friends and to new faces, and the aroma of brewed coffee and freshly baked croissants fills the room.

Around 450 attendees, 42 exhibitors and 45 influential speakers were ready to attend the World Maritime Forum: Copenhagen for two effective days.

After an enforced hiatus of almost 3 years, the desire to meet, talk and connect in real life was evidenced in the lively atmosphere in the conference hall, the panel discussions and at the exhibitor hall.

The World Maritime Forum: Copenhagen brought together leaders, experts, and specialists across the value chain. They were able to deliver vibrant presentations where they introduced new strategies and good practice in passionate panel discussions.

As the main topic in the World Maritime Forum, “How does the maritime industry go forward to decarbonization”, Claus Winter Graugaard, Head of Onboard Vessel Solutions from the Maersk McKinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping delivered a strong message about Maersk’s journey to zero emissions, and he pushed maritime companies to be more ambitious.

The message was followed by Øistein Jensen, Chief Sustainability Officer sharing Odfjell’s decarbonization journey, disclosing that in the end it’s all about the companies’ willingness to go forward with decarbonization and not wait to see what others will do.

Each speaker gave their own perspective on what strategy their company follows to reach decarbonization, but all agreed on the importance that something must be done. If not today, as soon as possible.

In addition to the knowledge sharing on stage, there was an exhibition area consisting of technology companies presenting the latest technologies which help solve existing problems to prepare the maritime industry into a more efficient and greener future.

 

 

MARPRO spoke with some of the companies, to get an idea of how they could help the maritime industry to decarbonization:

Bawat’s CEO, Marcus P. Hummer, showed us how they created an entirely new approach to ballast water management. Their easy-to-install and flexible solution contributes to the protection and the ecological balance of the ocean, meeting and respecting sea regulations at all times. https://www.bawat.com/

Christina Chang, Account Manager at Teqplay told us how they deliver real time maritime insights and predictions, so their clients can monitor the whole operational process and assess risks and in doing so save time, money and reduce waste. https://teqplay.com/

Stefan Venqueleir, Marketing & Communications Manager, informed us on how Sunny Europe specialize in supplying seafarers with goods. Based in Antwerp, they manage everything on their own, from logistics to planning, from warehousing to purchasing. https://shop.sunny.eu/

Northcom is the biggest supplier of equipment within critical communication, whether it’s for ambulances, firefighters, or police. René Thrane, Business Development Manager, made us aware of what they are doing in a maritime event. As the sea environments pose major challenges when it comes to optimal coverage and reach, they address the maritime industry’s communication needs. Hence the reason they told us a bit about their Sepura radios, Icom satellite radios, Peplink routers and DAMM base stations. https://northcom.dk/

MARPRO had a good conversation with Lucy Sofronis, Business Development Director of Future Care as their role in COVID-19 was essential for seafarers. Future Care brings telemedical care directly to shipowners to better manage the medical care of their crew, improving the quality of treatment and reducing medical costs. https://futurecareinc.com/

MARPRO was truly delighted to see such a robust international gathering. We don’t know about you, but we truly needed that. It felt so gratifying to socialise and build good relationships again, sharing relevant knowledge and getting inspired by all the ongoing projects. With that being written, we congratulate the IGGS team for the wonderful hospitality and service-minded event.

The IGGS Group planned an exclusive closed-door event with trendy topics, relevant personalities, and plenty of time for networking activities. People were happy to built face-to-face relationships and to have passionate discussions about solving the problems in the industry. The in-person power has no boundaries and it’s more powerful than on screen.

Besides the World Maritime Forum: Copenhagen, the IGGS Group is running a series of other events in 2022; the Envirotech for Shipping Forum in Rotterdam, the 2^nd Hellenic Maritime forum in Athens and the 2^nd Hamburg Maritime Forum. To date, prominent exhibitors and distinguished decision makers have committed to all events. See for further details.