Claus Ulrich Selbach from Hamburg Messe und Congress previews SMM
SMM 2024
3 – 6 September 20 ww
As the world's leading trade fair and conference event for the maritime industry, SMM 2024 will bring together about 40,000 participants from over 120 countries. Held 3rd to 6th September in Hamburg, the event serves as a unique platform for business, the exchange of ideas and cooperation.
Claus Ulrich Selbach, Business Unit Director Maritime & Technology Exhibitions, Hamburg Messe und Congress explained more to Inside Marine.
SMM has seen six decades of innovation. How have you continued this trend into 2024?
Indeed, we are proud of the fact that the SMM has always managed to provide the shipping industry with decisive technological impetus throughout its history. This
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is more than ever the case with the latest edition. After all, the aim is to shape the transformation of the industry towards climate protection and digitalisation with an ambitious timetable.
To this end, we have come up with two new formats for SMM 2024: firstly, the Future Fuels Area – which is already fully-booked. This is where leading companies will present the latest advances and innovations in the field of sustainable fuels. And secondly, the AI CENTER, which aims to revolutionise the use of artificial intelligence in shipping. Both initiatives demonstrate our commitment to leading the maritime industry into a sustainable and digital future.
Would you highlight the networking opportunities at SMM as key to the visitor experience? Or would you pick another feature of the event?
Networking opportunities are undoubtedly a key element of SMM. We offer a platform where professionals from all over the world come together to exchange ideas, forge partnerships and strengthen business relationships – for example at our popular Wine o'clock format with drinks and snacks. In addition, the diversity and quality of exhibitors across the entire value chain is an outstanding feature of SMM. Visitors have the opportunity to experience the latest products and technologies first-hand, making SMM an unrivalled meeting place for innovation and collaboration. And the companies in turn appreciate the fact that they enjoy exceptional visibility here as exhibitors, and that we as organisers have a feel for trends. You won't find that anywhere else in this form.
With digitalisation a hot topic within the marine industry, please share with our readers how your AI CENTER will reflect this market trend.
Our AI CENTER is dedicated to advanced AI technologies and their potential for maritime applications. Numerous companies and start-ups will present their innovative AI solutions here, ranging from optimising fuel consumption to improving operational efficiency. Another highlight is the presentation
Claus Ulrich Selbach from Hamburg Messe und Congress previews SMM.
of the ‘AI for the Oceans Award’, which hon ours start-ups that use AI to protect the oceans. These initiatives emphasise how SMM is driving digital change in the maritime industry – and setting new standards in the process.
As the largest event within the maritime sector, how do you craft your conference programme to both reflect the broad issues and help guide the industry?
We always develop our conference programme in close collaboration with industry experts and leading companies. This ensures that the programme covers the most important and urgent topics. Our agenda has produced a variety of panels, presentations and workshops that highlight both current challenges and future trends.
We attach great importance to practical solutions and innovative approaches that help the industry in a tangible way. This will be particularly evident this year at the
3 – 6 September 20 ww
international maritime conference for security and defence MS&D. Our new partner, the German Maritime Institute (DMI), is designing the programme closely to the needs of the industry: Topics include the current challenges for navies, multi-domain strategies, asymmetric naval tactics and trends in naval shipbuilding
SMM has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2040. How are you helping the maritime industry achieve sustainable operation?
This is a goal of the City of Hamburg, which also applies to us as a municipal company. We offer our exhibitors and visitors –beyond the maritime industry – numerous platforms to exchange information on the latest environmentally friendly technologies and best practices.
We are particularly proud of our ‘Hamburg Big Three of Energy Transition’: SMM, WindEnergy Hamburg and Hydrogen Technology Expo. The three world-leading trade fairs impressively demonstrate how we can work together to make our planet more sustainable. Be it through renewable energies, more efficient ship technologies or the clean use of hydrogen.
Launched in 2022, the Start-up Route is available again this year. How successful is this feature and how do you see it helping to build the industry?
The idea has proven to be a complete success and has shown how important innovative young companies are for the future of the maritime industry. We bring together more than 2,000 exhibiting companies and around 40,000 visitors from over 120 countries. The Start-up Route offers companies a valuable platform to present their smart ideas and technologies to an international audience.
However, established companies also benefit: they can receive new impetus and perhaps also forge new partnerships. Overall, this dynamic promotes the innovative strength of the entire sector and helps to ensure that the maritime industry remains competitive in the future.
EVENT PREVIEW
Claus Ulrich Selbach from Hamburg Messe und Congress previews SMM
SMM is also running other themed route tours around the event floor. Please explain how these tours help visitors and exhibitors connect.
Whether digitalisation, the environment, maritime security and defence, professions, or passenger shipping, the routes help visitors to quickly and efficiently find the exhibitors and innovations that are relevant to them. At the same time, exhibitors also benefit. It is a great opportunity for them to present their solutions directly to an interested audience. In this way, we promote direct dialogue and networking between visitors and exhibitors.
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Finally, on a personal note, which aspect of SMM are you particularly looking forward to?
I find AI very fascinating. Our discussions and presentations on artificial intelligence in a maritime context are an absolute highlight for me. AI has the potential to increase efficiency and safety in shipping enormously.
I also find it a bit provocative, but also very exciting, to talk about nuclear power. Simply because we also have to admit to ourselves: if we as an industry really want to achieve the goal of climate neutrality by 2050, we have to consider all options. At the moment, it looks like we will only achieve this if we
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are open to innovative and unconventional solutions.
