German Commerce and Technology Secretary Rösler to Open SMM

At 7:00 p.m. on Monday 3 September, German Federal Secretary of Commerce and Technology Dr Philipp Rösler will officially open the SMM, shipbuilding, machinery & marine technology international trade fair hamburg at the CCH-Congress Center Hamburg.

Bernd Aufderheide, Chairman of the Board of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH, will welcome some 800 invited guests from business and politics on the eve of the first exhibition day. The list of speakers at the 25th anniversary celebration will not only include leading representatives from the maritime industry but also Olaf Scholz, Mayor and President of the Senate of the City of Hamburg. From 4 to 7 September, more than 2,000 exhibitors from 60 countries will present high-tech products and technologies for the shipbuilding and supply industry as well as maritime technology in twelve exposition halls on the Hamburg fairgrounds. The new Hall B8 was set up for the first time this year to provide additional space. More than 50,000 trade visitors from around the world are expected to attend the fair. Some 30 exhibitor groups will be present at SMM to showcase new developments, network and deepen their international business relationships. The patron of SMM 2012 will be German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

 “The 25th SMM, already the industry’s top event, will be a record-breaker. In its anniversary year the fair will cover more than 90,000 square metres and feature more exhibitors and topics than ever before. High-level international conferences will accompany the leading global maritime trade fair as premium special events,” said Aufderheide. The SMM 2012 will address a full range of maritime industry topics, including all of the top items on the current agenda: Protection of the marine environment, climate protection, maritime security and defence, offshore technology, and financing, all of which will be discussed in dedicated forums and workshops featuring high-ranking international panel experts.

Apart from the recent dramatic increases of bunker costs, stricter international environmental requirements have been forcing the industry to deploy efficiency-enhancing technology. Therefore “Green Shipping” will once again be a major focal point at SMM 2012. Experts will gather for the gmec, global maritime environmental congress, on 3 and 4 September to discuss issues such as the reduction of CO2 and sulphur emissions or ballast water management, in four separate workshops. The gmec, held for the second time, is one of the premium events of the SMM special events programme hosted in 2012.

Stricter legal requirements for lending banks are making it increasingly difficult to finance ship newbuilding projects. Alternative solutions to traditional financing models on an international level will therefore be among the key topics on the agenda of the Ship Finance Forum on 3 September, organised by HMC and Financial Times Germany for the fourth time.

Notwithstanding, the offshore segment is one of the most promising markets for technology leaders in the shipbuilding and supply industry. The SMM Offshore Dialogue, held for the second time this year, has therefore become a standard event of the SMM programme. On 6 September, industry experts will discuss oil and gas production at sea as well as offshore wind energy. The event will be co-sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Commerce and Technology (BMWi).

Another area of pivotal interest at SMM 2012 will be maritime security and defence. Every day, trade ships experience the threat of piracy. Growing numbers of naval forces deployed in various regions show that civilian security and military defence are interlinked more inseparably than ever. The conference, which will feature high-level navy representatives and security experts, is sponsored by DVV Media / Griephan and Deutsches Maritimes Institut (DMI). The MS&D will take place on 4 and 5 September. Attendees will be able to get some first-hand information about new products and solutions in maritime surveillance and protection systems, security and defence technology, sensor, information and communication technology, command and information systems as well as consultancy and security services in Hall B8 but also in other, subject-specific sections of the SMM exhibition.

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Offshore WIND staff, August 28, 2012; Image: Michael Zapf (Z)