MAGAZYN GDAŃSKI
New products, new people, new strategies –
SMM was once again the industry’s top platform for
presenting novelties to the world and negotiating
deals. „Rolls-Royce Power Systems, with its core
brand MTU, is developing at an aggressive pace,
transforming from an engine manufacture into
a provider of integrated solutions. There is no
better platform two showcase that than SMM, the
leading trade fair of the maritime sector,” said CEO
Andreas Schell.
Innovation was also a key theme at the Siemens
stand. „To us, SMM is always a good way to gauge
the mood in the market and look for new trends
and topics,” said Matthias Schulze, Executive Vice
President Marine at Siemens. Alfa Laval for the
first time presented an especially powerful ballast
water management system to its customers at SMM.
„Customers are especially interested in products
addressing the new environmental regulations,”
stressed Klaus Maak, Divisional Manager Marine
MidEuropa.
As always, many great business deals were
finalised at SMM. For example, GEA announced an
order from P&O Cruises for its innovative industrial
refrigeration technology. Other exhibitors likewise
expressed their satisfaction about major new or-
ders. For example, the classification society DNV
GL reported having been contracted to supervise
and classify a 2,750-TEU containership newbuilding
project at the Chinese shipyard Huangpu-Wenchong
(HPWS), and the ship propeller manufacturer MMG
seized the day to deliver the world’s biggest conta-
inership propeller on occasion of SMM.
than 500 guests, the response was excellent. Ano-
ther grand premiere at SMM
2018 was the TradeWinds Shipowners Forum,
which had prepared a multifaceted programme
featuring renowned speakers.
There is a great demand for young talents and
skilled experts in the maritime sector. This is why
SMM hosts the Maritime Career Market (MCM) as
a job exchange and a platform highlighting career
and training opportunities within the industry.
The Career Forum, a series of presentations about
maritime professions and careers, was another
first at this SMM.
Maritime industry shows optimism
Successful debuts
An event that received plenty of attention was
the „Maritime 3D-Printing Show Area”, something
that had never been seen at a maritime trade fair
before. „3D printing is a technology that really
catches on, and our conversations have been going
very well,” summarised Lina Harms who represen-
ted the Maritime Cluster Norddeutschland, one of
the partners of SMM. SMM was again complemen-
ted by high-profile conferences covering specific
topics such as digitalisation (Maritime Future
Summit), environment protection (Global Marine
Environmental Congress), ocean research (Offshore
Dialogue) as well as security and defence (Maritime
Security & Defence). With an attendance of more
All in all, the general mood has clearly impro-
ved, compared with the year 2016 where the effects
of the shipping crisis were still felt very strongly:
For example, as the four-day SMM came to an end,
Trond Rolstad Paulsen, Sales Manager Sensing
& Digital Solutions at the Norwegian technology
company Kongsberg, summed up his impressions:
“It’s very good this year, very well visited, especially
on the opening day. People seem to have a positive
mindset and appear willing to invest.” Bernard Mey-
er, CEO of Meyer Werft, one of the world’s leading
cruise ship yards, arrived at a similar conclusion:
„It was once again an outstanding show of the ma-
ritime industry.” It is heartening to see the sector’s
economic situation being assessed in much more
positive terms than in recent years.
The next SMM will take place from 8 to
11 September 2020 in Hamburg.
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