the main deck agenda
discover global trends & opportunites from industry leaders
Below you can find the topics covered for the Main Deck Conference, which is subject to change. Make sure you check back regularly for new announcements on speakers and sessions for November.
If you are interested in joining the line-up of speakers for AntwerpXL please contact
important topics coming to the main deck
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Trade Routes
Heavy Lift
Geopolitics
Project Cargo
sustainability
attracting talent
Digitilisation
FORECASTING - Managing the needs of breakbulk and project cargo shippers in the current multipurpose shipping market
10.00 - 10.45 CET
The impact of the container segment on the market and potential cargo flows between Europe, Middle East and Asia.
• How market volatility and freight levels have a serious impact on the trade
• Separating yourself from other forwarders
Panel:
- Justin Archard, Managing Partner, One World Shipbrokers
- Marc-Oliver Brockmann, European Commercial Manager, AAL Shipping
- Rachel Kellett, Managing Director, Conceptum Logistics Group Holding GmbH
- Joeri Tielemans, Commercial Director, Bolloré Logistics
DIGITALISATION - Breakbulk bottlenecks and digital vision
10.45 - 11.45 CET
Despite the lack of standardisation and the complexity of transports, there is an abundance of new ideas, technologies and platforms that can significantly enhance operational efficiency within the breakbulk industry.
- What digitalisation is and what it can bring
- A look at the status quo of digitalisation
- How to digitalise a non-standard industry?
- Digital challenges and bottlenecks faced by the sector
- Which technologies should be part of the digital vision?
Panel:
- Karel Van den Berghe, CEO, Globis Software
- Kunal Singh, Sales Engineer, Navis
- Valentin Carlan, Post-doc Researcher, University of Antwerp
- Stijn Olbrechts, Process & Digital Transformation Owner, Lineas
NEXTGEN - 40 Under 40
13.00 - 14.00 CET
Developing an agile workforce which is able fully to ‘think out of the box’, using new skills and competencies for a robust future breakbulk labour market.
- Labour market: what are the new skills required by the growth in tech advances for breakbulk?
- Where are the skills gaps?
CONTINUITY - Managing Continuity in project cargo and breakbulk
14.15 - 15.15 CET
- Current challenges affecting the industry
- The impact of energy transition on project cargo
- Digitalization in the shipping industry
- Position of container carriers in the project cargo segment
CONNECTIONS - Intermodal links, rail and barge
15.30 - 16.30 CET
This session will be highlighting the advantages and also current challenges of rail and barge modalities for breakbulk cargo. You will get to know how the cargo from the rail cars from hinterland can be loaded to containers in the Port of Antwerp Bruges in order to export it to any maritime destination worldwide (and vice versa).
We will also discuss the impact of the increased truck and energy prices on the rail and barge transport. We will also tackle the major bottlenecks of the rail and barge connections and propose solutions forward. Despite of the big challenges, the discussion will also highlight new opportunities for the transport of break-bulk cargo in the future.
- Key advantages – Barge and rail transport being optimal transport mode for breakbulk, conventional cargo and project cargo
- Barge transport of project cargo between Germany and Port of Antwerp-Bruges. New investments to breakbulk terminal in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges
- Rail transport of breakbulk cargo from/to Austria in wagons and loading of cargo from wagons into containers in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges
- Example of collaboration and digital communication between the operator and customers
- Major bottlenecks and new opportunities for the future
Panel:
- Edwin Moehlig, Managing Director, Rail & Sea NV
- Peter Larose, Head of Projects, Conti7
- Louis-Robert Cool, CEO, Seafar
Henk Kroos, Commercial Development Manager, NRPC
6 October
TECHNOLOGY - Top applications, innovative technologies, and future-proof products
10.00-11.00 CET
Working towards a valuable digital solution. Answering industry needs and desires to enrich the daily life experiences of end-users.
• What are the problems within logistics?
• Debunking the myths about digitalisation
• Looking after our people and the world around us
• Future-proofing – how to do it?
SUSTAINABILITY - The priority of a fight against climate change and a look towards future fuels
11.15 - 12.15 CET
An outlook for developing a cost-effective and sustainable breakbulk logistics chain.
We all want clean air, green ships, sustainable jobs but it comes at a cost!
Who is willing to pay the cost?
- Green fuels and the transition of shipping
- What are the propulsion methods of the future in breakbulk?
Panel:
- Bernard van Haeringen, Sales Manager, GoodFuels
- Maja Felicia Bendtsen, Chief Business Officer Bulk, Port of Roenne
- Wim Dillen, Int. Development Manager, Port of Antwerp-Bruges
- Pascal Lammerts van Bueren, Global Director, Lubbers Logistics
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE - Automation, Digitalization, and Artificial Intelligence in shipping
12:30 - 13:30 CET
A look into digital sustainability, autonomous shipping, the challenges with brokers and the future of container lines
- What is the future of container lines
- Digital sustainability
- Shipowners in the modern shipping
- Digital Multimodal freight
Panel:
- Jurgen De Klerck, Business Development Manager 5G MPN, Proximus
- Joe Caprara, VP of Intelligence and Automation, SEDNA
CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES - The future of the breakbulk and project cargo sector
13.45 - 14.45 CET
A 360 degree review of trends, trade flows, opportunities and barriers to trade, and the overall economic outlook for breakbulk projects.
- Why traditional breakbulk business have had to be transformed into a multimodal concept
- What does the international trade landscape look like now that we are experiencing less global, more regional trends?
- What are the barriers to international trade?
- How are trade flows impacted by global trends?
Panel:
- Albert-Jan Ars, Commercial Manager, Katoen Natie Port Operations
- Yorck Niclas Prehm, Head of Research, Toepfer Transport
- Marin Skufca, CEO, Liburnia Maritime
- Ann De Smet, Key Account Manager Maritime, Port of Antwerp-Bruges
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