MARITIME ECONOMY FORUM GDYNIA 2024
11th October 2024 r.
Forum Host - Andrzej Popadiuk
Stakeholder Manager at Equinor Poland
Registration of Forum participants
09:00 - 09:05
President of the City of Gdynia
Sławomir T. Kalicki
Leader of the Maritime Economy Forum
09:05 - 09:20
Secretary of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure of Poland
09:20 - 09:35
Economist
09:35 - 09:45
Port of Gdynia presentation
President of the Board of Morski Port Gdynia S.A.
09:45 - 09:55
Film Competition "The Sea Excites Me"
Award ceremony and presentation of the winning film
09:55 - 10:10
Secretary General, CEO SEA Europe & CESA
10:10 - 11:55
room C
The European shipbuilding industry is now a shadow of its former glory. Back in the early 1980s, our continent's share of shipbuilding production expressed in CGT units was 45% – today it is about 6%. We continue to maintain a very strong position in the production of marine equipment, in the construction of high-tech vessels and in production for the navy. However, there has been a complete collapse in the production of ships for the transportation of goods. European shipowners order more than 90% of the tonnage they need from the Far East, causing our dependence on that region of the world.
Poland became a member of the European Union by virtue of the Accession Treaty in which we transferred a large part of our competencies to the EU, including in the sphere of maritime affairs. Other EU countries have done the same. Therefore, the key to reviving the shipbuilding industry in Poland and other member countries is to create solutions at the EU level.
It should also be said openly – the process of reviving our continent's shipbuilding industry will not be easy, and we will face numerous challenges in the process. But we must undertake them for our security in the face of gathering black clouds over hitherto peaceful coexistence.
The panel will discuss ways of reviving Europe’s shipbuilding industry.
Director of the Association of Polish Maritime Industries FORUM OKRĘTOWE
11:55 - 12:30
Break
12:30 - 14:15
Thematic panels
SEA PORTS / room D
leader: Piotr Pawłowski
Chairman of the Council of Stakeholders of the Port of Gdynia
The extent of autonomy of Port Authorities in the creation and implementation of state port policy.
A panel on Polish seaports, which have recently shown record-high results, promises to be interesting.
They ended 2023 with more than 9% volume growth, which translated into 146.4 million tons of cargo handled. Thus, it can be concluded that there has been a tripling of turnover (212%) in Polish seaports over the past two decades. The Port of Gdańsk handled the most last year, with nearly 81 million tons (80.96 mil. t), up by 18.7%. This placed it in the "Top10" of European ports. Positive changes were also observed in Gdynia, where container volumes approached 30 million T (29.4 million T) after a 5.3% increase. The port complex of Szczecin and Świnoujście recorded a slight decline in container volumes. The more than 4% reduction in turnover levels translated into a result of 35.32 million t in 2023.
How much have Port Authorities of primary importance to the national economy contributed to these increases? Did they build and provide new infrastructure while upgrading the existing one? In their actions, were they guided by market demand, as reported by port users and operators, or did they carry out central dispositions, interfering with the laws of the market and free competition? Representatives of the port authorities in Gdańsk, Gdynia, Szczecin and Świnoujście, as well as representatives of the broadly understood business centered around these ports, will speak on these and other issues.
MARITIME LOGISTICS / room E
lider: Marek Tarczyński
President of the Polish International Freight Forwarders Association (PIFFA), President of the Management Board of Terramar Sp. z o.o
Logistics supply chains in the face of global challenges. Directions of their development in the era of structural change. Implications for the maritime industry of the TSL sector.
- The impact of armed conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East on the diversion of cargo streams and the stability of supply chains.
- Effects of the U.S.-China trade "war" on the situation in the Far East and the diversification of supplies.
- EU trade and transport policy (Green Deal, ESG, cyber security, electromobility) and its impact on the Polish TSL industry.
RENEWABLE ENERGY / room F/H
leader: Tomasz Pelc
Chairman of the Hydrogen Technology Cluster Council
moderator: Andrzej Buczkowski
Green methanol or green ammonia, which one will dominate the maritime fuel market from the perspective of ship owners and operators?
- Maritime legislation is making increasingly tough demands on ship owners and operators, seeking to eliminate fossil fuels through increasingly severe penalties (ETS) for ships
- As part of the panel, we will discuss shipowners' opinions and their preparations for the required changes, as well as propulsion engine manufacturers' offerings and their preparation for alternative fuels.
YACHTING BUSINESS / room G
leader: Tomasz Chamera
President of the Polish Yachting Association, Vice President of World Sailing
A future driven by the wind.
- modern high-performance yacht designs,
- selected issues of design in terms of aerodynamics and hydrodynamics,
- challenges of the present, visions of the future and opportunities for the domestic manufacturing industry, hydrodynamics,
- tourism, sport or business – what are the trends in yachting in terms of future designs
CYBERSECURITY AND AUTONOMOUS SHIPPING / room A
leader: Rafal Cichocki
Head of the Maritime Cybersecurity Center at the Maritime University in Gdynia
Opportunities and threats in the new directions of development of the maritime economy.
The European Union notes the need to develop the maritime economy toward autonomous shipping. This is reflected both in resolutions, as well as EU-funded research and development programs. As early as 2018, the IMO adopted the definition of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) and announced the preparation of foundations for further work. Both organizations see the development of autonomous shipping as an opportunity to develop safer and more environmentally friendly shipping. At the same time, according to reports from the U.S. Coast Guard, the number of ransomware attacks on maritime infrastructure and economies increased by 80% in 2023. In Europe, targets of the attack included DNV and the Port of Lisbon.
The same report points to the persistent deficiencies in essential cyber defense mechanisms. The challenges of autonomous shipping and the inextricably linked cyber security will be discussed during a new panel, "Cyber Security and Autonomous Shipping."
14:15 - 15:00
BREAK
15:00 - 15:15
15:15
Closing of the Maritime Economy Forum Gdynia