Copenhagen: The Danish capital is expected to hog shipping news headlines all week with the return of Danish Maritime Days – a week of more than 60 maritime events with the Danish Maritime Forum at its centre. The forum brings together business leaders with regulators and other key stakeholders to try and solve issues facing the industry in a frank, open discussion.
Liner legend Flemming Jacobs, formerly with Maersk and NOL, is secretary-general of Danish Maritime Days. He is adamant there is nothing quite like the forum in the hectic world of shipping events.
“The Danish Maritime Forum is a by invitation only summit that brings together ministers, top-executives and experts from all parts of the global maritime values chain with one clear goal in mind: to unleash the full potential of the global maritime industry to increase long term economic development and human wellbeing. It is a unique, creative workspace where participants collaborate, discuss strategic challenges and learn from each other. Participants work together to identify key challenges and draft solutions including new business opportunities, policy recommendations and collaborations. The aim is not just to listen and network, but to take on big challenges and generate tangible outcomes,” says Jacobs.
This year’s forum focuses on how the maritime industry will adapt to a global economy marked by volatility and uncertainty about prospects for future growth. It includes a number of briefing sessions on topics such as the New Chinese Silk Road, Big Data’s Disruptive Force, Growth in Africa, Accelerating Green Technology Deployment and an Economic Outlook for China. T
“The format of the Danish Maritime Forum is highly collaborative and the participants are asked to pull up their sleeves in a number of work in groups,” Jacobs says. “However, the challenges that are discussed will not be solved from one day to another,” he adds.
The findings from the work in groups from last year’s forum have been refined and the forum will further pursue the fundamental challenges discussed last year, in particular what it will take to meet the demand for transporting 20bn tons of cargo by sea by about 2030 – a doubling from the current volumes. This includes infrastructure challenges such as ports and terminals, land-based infrastructure, capacity in ship yards, as well as well-trained people onboard and ashore, in technology, in terms of investments required etc. – all in a sustainable and profitable manner.
Jacobs started his career in the shipping industry in 1960 when he joined AP Moller. He helped to build up Maersk Line into one of the world’s leading containerlines and in 1996 he became a partner of AP Moller. Between 1999 and 2003 he was president and CEO of Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines (NOL). Last year he took up a position with Israeli carrier, ZIM.
