SMM 2016 on maritime trade fair will take place in Hamburg in September

HMCSMM 2016, a leading international maritime trade fair, will take place on September 6-9 2016 in Hamburg. The event will host more than 2,100 exhibitors and over 50,000 industry visitors from all over the world, as reported by Hamburg Port Authority.
The fair, already fully booked, will focus on digitalisation  and will also include a new hall for “Green Propulsion”. The new Hall A5 has been set up to provide 3,500 square metres of additional exhibition area exclusively for highlighting innovative ship propulsion technologies.
The SMM advance press conference in Hamburg on 2 June 2016 gave some anticipations on such an important international fair for the maritime industry. Several distinguished speakers gave some insights into current industry trends and revealed some details on this year’s programme.
“We can definitely see today that once again SMM will demonstrate in impressive ways what it means to be the leading international maritime trade fair,” said Bernd Aufderheide, President and CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress, in his welcoming address

On digitalisation
Martin Stopford of Clarksons Research Services on Smart Shipping
Shipping companies are facing low freight and charter rates, increased cost pressures and tightening environmental restrictions. In 2016 the shipyards have experienced the lowest newbuilding orders since the 1980s: orders for new ships are below capacity. One strategy to cope with these difficulties is Smart Shipping. The rapidly evolving ICT has great potential to improve fleet operations and transport productivity, which will be crucial in the survival strategy for shipping.
Lars Robert Pedersen of Baltic and International Maritime Council on the risk of cyber-attacks
On-board computer technology raises the risk of cyber disruption, data theft and industrial espionage. At the beginning of the year the BIMCO, together with the International Chamber of Shipping and similar partners, published its first cyber security guidelines to select and apply the necessary procedural and technical means to guard against cyber-attacks and limit the potential damage.
Lee Adamson from International Marime Organization on equal regulations
With its global standards for safety, security, environment protection and efficiency, the IMO has been providing the regulatory framework for international shipping. International regulations that apply equally to all ships, without permitting advantage to be gained either by cutting corners or by imposing unilateral requirements, are still needed.

Programme for the SMM 2016
September 5th – Maritime Future Summit
Software experts and CEOs of leading manufacturers of ship propulsion systems will be discussing the consequences of Smart Shipping and Big Data for the shipping industry of the future.
September 6th – GMEC,  global maritime environmental congress on Green Shipping and efficiency.
September 7th – MS&D, international conference on maritime security and defence
September 8th – Offshore Dialogue Reputable experts will discuss the role of the human factor for the protection of safety, health and the environment.
September 9th – Maritime Career Market An ideal job exchange platform and a showcase of maritime education and training options.