And so to SMM in Hamburg, the world’s largest shipping show. I relish any trip to this great Hanseatic port city, but I do admit being rather concerned at what the mood or attendance will be at this year’s event.
SMM is above all a tech show – a place to come and kit out shiny, new ships. And therein lies the rub – new ships are increasingly rare.
In terms of new orders placed Clarksons Research tells me they think the first half of 2016 was the lowest for 35 years at 18m dwt. The global orderbook itself is the lowest since 2006 in dwt terms at 268m dwt.
So perhaps exhibitors will have to skew their sales of chains and ropes to a more Reeperbahn audience as resident cartoonist The Freaky Wave intimates below.
Come the next edition of the giant German show in 2018 will things have picked up? Well, you, dear reader, make for entertaining reading. Rarely has selecting a single respondent’s quote per question posed in our quarterly survey, MarPoll, been more difficult, such were the choice words on offer this time round. Full results are carried here. Some key quotes that did not make it into the print edition of Maritime CEO are listed below for your amusement.
Will big data analysis end the cycles? Possibly but unlikely due to the endless potential for self-interest, greed and stupidity on the part on humans.
It’s still people, or sometimes sheep, that take decisions.
Owners built bigger boxships in a mental vacuum, never considering terminals or truckers or rail.
What’s the difference between a Greek shipowner and a pirate? One wears a three-piece suit, the other doesn’t.
As you can see from that small selection, our readers have strong and interesting views.
Splash will be reporting live from SMM, while Maritime CEO magazine will be distributed at the event. Splash readers can access the full magazine online for free by clicking here.
