Capital Link’s 11th Annual Operational Excellence in Shipping Forum took place with great success and participation on Tuesday & Wednesday, June 8 & 9, 2021 from 11:00am – 4:30pm London time as a digital conference.
The event took place over the course of two days, with 17 virtual sessions, and 80 speakers from the global shipping industry participating on the discussion panels and presentations.
The forum focused on the topic of Operational Excellence, Best Industry Practices and Sustainability and the main issues addressed were the challenges within the industry and the industry’s preparedness for the road ahead, the transformation of shipping during Covid-19 era, which can be used as an asset for optimizing fleet management. Furthermore, topics that were discussed were, the impact of technology on efficiency and profitability, crewing needs & the crewing crisis, the human factor on board ships and the welfare of seafarers. Also, the importance of proper cyber security management and the implications of lack of same, as well as decarbonization and how fleet operations can be adapted to meet regulatory requirements.
The Forum was honored by the participation of Mr. Kitack Lim, Secretary General - International Maritime Organization (IMO), who delivered Keynote Remarks on Tuesday, June 8, 2021.
The Introductory Remarks concerning the Crewing Crisis issue - a global issue involving international organizations, national jurisdictions, charterers, shipowners and more, especially in view of the recent crisis in
India, were delivered by the Deputy Shipping Minister of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Vassilios Demetriades.
Dr Grahaeme Henderson OBE, Senior Vice President, Shipping & Maritime - Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited, delivered the Keynote Remarks regarding an equally very important issue: Safety of seafarers, vessels, cargoes and the environment working together towards a zero-incident future.
Finally the heads of the major classification societies, gave their insight as to their pivotal role in the industry, the guidance they provide and the need for various initiatives to help the shipping industry meet the new challenges from environmental compliance, ship safety and security, technological innovation, operational efficiency, human resources management and more.
The Forum was held digitally, opening it to a global audience and making this approach highly relevant and effective, and featured a series of LIVE interactive panel discussions.