2016-10-17

Maritime Economy Forum Gdynia 2016 ended with success

16th edition of the Maritime Economy Forum was held on 14th October, Friday, at the Pomeranian Science and Technology Park. Approximately 600 participants took part in that forum, including the representatives of public administration, among others, the Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation Marek Gróbarczyk and Deputy Minister Paweł Brzezicki.

“We meet in Gdynia for the sixteenth time to talk about important challenges and issues that Polish economy and companies face in the scope of widely understood maritime economy. We’re very happy that among us are ministers from the established ministry of maritime economy. I think it is a good prognostic that this area is very important in strategy and actions undertaken by the country,” said Wojciech Szczurek, the Mayor of Gdynia, while welcoming guests. “I’m very happy that, together with Chairman Sławomir Kalicki, who is responsible for the programme part of the forum, we prepared the schedule which would best correspond to your interests. I’m convinced that your participation and big attendance at today’s meeting is a proof that subjects are well-chosen and that the opportunity to listen to presentations and discussions and formulating conclusions are reflected in practice in your business activity,” added Wojciech Szczurek.

 

Mayor of Gdynia - Wojciech Szczurek. phot. P. Kozłowski/ARG

Forum, the leading subject of which was the following question: Can maritime economy be a driving force for the development of EU countries? – had the form of open discussion panels, and people practicing business from different maritime industries engaged in the discussions, as well as entrepreneurs and scientists, ensured a relevant character of the talks, at the same time providing a free exchange of opinions and ideas. There were also thematic presentations, which formed grounds for further discussions.

The presentation that opened the Forum,delivered by the Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation, Marek Gróbarczyk, and the long and relevant discussion following it showed how important the Maritime Economy Forum Gdynia is for all people connected with maritime economy.

“Without maritime economy and ship-building industry, there’ll be no reindustrialisation of the country. Shipping with the employment of domestic ship owners, not only national, is a closure to the functioning of ship-building industry. Our goal is to coordinate actions to make as much as we can in the country, of course taking into consideration market conditions. Reconstruction of the fleet or construction of new units should involve domestic shipyards,” said minister Gróbarczyk. He also added after the presentation: “If all in maritime economy worked well, our ministry would not be needed. The role of our ministry is listening to entrepreneurs’ problems, and that’s why critical opinions have been most important for me today, even those with accusations.”

Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation - Marek Gróbarczyk. phot. P. Kozłowski/ARG

Innovative maritime economy and film competition

Traditionally, statuettes of the Innovative Maritime Economy competition were awarded during the Forum. The winners of this competition were:

    Innovative project – Wartsila Ship Design Poland Sp. z o.o.

    Innovative product – Stocznia CRIST S.A.

    Innovative technology – Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A.

    Innovative venture – Maritime Academy in Gdynia

    Innovative personality – Marek Gróbarczyk

 

Awarded with the statuettes of the Innovative Maritime Economy. Phot. P. Kozłowski/ARG

A new element of the Forum was awarding prizes in the competition for screenplay and production of a film promoting maritime economy, with particular focus on our region. Distinction award and prize in the amount of PLN 1,500 was given to Mr. Andrzej Mańkowski, and 1st prize – PLN 15.000 – was awarded to Jakub Maj, the graduate of the Gdynia Film School, for the film “Concert”.

The leader of Jury Sławomir T. Kalicki (on the left) together with the winner Jakub Maj. Phot. P. Kozłowski/ARG

 

Discussion panels

 

During the panel entitled Maritime Industries, experiences of EU countries in connection with the implementation of the “Blue Growth” strategy were presented, as well as domestic achievements in this scope together with further opportunities for the development of this programme in Poland. The invited guests also focused on the Ship-Building Act, which is the source of much hope and doubts in the industry. Jerzy Czuczman, the President of the KORAB Association of Polish Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, director of the office of the Forum Okrętowe association of employers was the leader of the panel, and the guests of the panel were:

Christophe Tytgat – the Secretary-General of SEA Europe

Andrzej Aksman – the Chairman of the Management Board of RMDC Remontowa Holding

Kazimierz Szefler, PhD, Eng. – Director of the Maritime Institute in Gdańsk.

 

Discussions conducted during the Maritime Logistics panel, the leader of which was Marek Tarczyński, the President of the Council of Polish International Freight Forwarders Association, the President of the Management Board in the Terramar company, were devoted to a new Community Customs Code, obligatory verification of containers weight in transport (VGM), European Union provisions on delegated work and domestic matters, such as changes in tax provisions or creation of the Polish Tax Administration. Professor Andrzej Grzelakowski from the Maritime Academy in Gdynia was moderating the discussion during the panel, and the guests of the panel were:

 

Piotr Karczewski – Managing Director, ZIM Poland

Piotr Sikorski – Head of the North Region, DHL Freight Germany

Mariusz Rutowicz – National Project Manager, Kuehne+Nagel

Discussion during the Maritime logistics panel. Phot. P. Kozłowski/ARG

 

The leader of the Seaports panel was Krzysztof Szymborski – President of the Council of Stakeholders of Port Gdynia and the President of the Management Board of the Bałtycki Terminal w Gdyni Sp. z o.o. During the panel, the following issues were discussed: those connected with the “Green Port in Europe” model and actions aiming to minimise the negative impact of ports located near cities on environment. “I would treat the concept of green ports more as a process for obtaining environmental effects than achieving a particular condition,” admitted Bogdan Ołdakowski, the Secretary-General of the Baltic Ports Organization.

Main problems of seaports were discussed, to which belong air quality and the level of energy efficiency. The last was partially solved thanks to standards reducing the emission of sulphur oxides to atmosphere in control areas (SECA – Sulphur Emission Control Area). As Bogdan Ołdakowski said, it had also many consequences for shipping industry, mainly technological ones – modernisation of the fleet and equipping it with exhaust gas cleaning systems.

The subject of supplying ships with energy from lands was also undertaken.

“On-shore power supply is quite a slow trend: there are a few such stations and Scandinavian countries are definitely leaders here,” admitted the Secretary-General of BPO. He explained that this means mainly that ships berthed at port emit less air and noise pollution, that is factors which are cumbersome for people living near the port. During the conference of BPO in Helsinki, four ports of the Baltic Sea (Tallinn, port in Stockholm and Finnish ports in Helsinki and Turku) signed a memorandum of understanding, the goal of which will be actions for the purpose of development of such power supply to ships.

Adam Meller, a participant in the panel and the President of the Management Board of Morski Port Gdynia SA, spoke about planned investments: improvement of railway access to the Western part of the port, construction of new swinging area no. 2 and the construction of new ferry terminal located on Nabrzeże Polskie [Polish Quay], where passenger ships belonging to Stena Line would be berthed. The guests of the panel were:

Bogdan Ołdakowski – Secretary-General, Baltic Ports Organisation, the President of the Management Board of ACTIA Forum Sp. z o.o.

Lamia Kerdjoudj-Belkaid – Secretary-General, Federation of European Private Port Operators and Terminals

Maciej Matczak, PhD – Maritime Academy in Gdynia

Adam Meller – the President of the Management Board, Management Board of Morski Port Gdynia S.A.

Bogdan Ołdakowski, the Secretary-General of the Baltic Ports Organization. Phot. P. Kozłowski/ARG

 

Development directions and novel solutions in the scope of Ship Management are the subject of the panel dedicated to this sector. Poland fulfils all conditions supporting environment which are needed by modern Ship Management, so what do we have to do to create here the centre of this industry? This was discussed during the panel whose leader was Piotr Masny, the General Director of Seatrans Ship Management Poland sp. z o.o., a Member of the Management Board of the Polish Ship Managers’ Association. The guests of the panel were:

Capt. Kuba Szymański – Secretary-General, Inter Manager

Professor Wiktor Askanas – the Koźmiński University

Kjetil Bruun-Olsen – General Director, Fram Marine AS, Norway

 

Aucience at the Ship Management panel. Phot. P. Kozłowski/ARG

 

Lecture by Professor Jerzy Hausner

 

After the panel part was over, there was a lecture and lively discussion with the participation of Professor Jerzy Hausner from the Kraków University of Economics. Professor Hausner delivered the lecture entitled “Polish economy – surroundings, condition, prospects”, in which he discussed challenges that Polish economy is going to face and made reference in this context to the economic plan prepared by Deputy Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

Prof. dr hab. Jerzy Hausner. Phot. P. Kozłowski/ARG

 

Workshops for students

 

As in last year, workshops for students of maritime studies were an event accompanying the Forum. Approximately 30 students of Tricity institutions of higher education took part in classes dedicated to Risk management in shipping enterprises. Workshops were prepared and conducted by an expert in the area – Marcin Toporek.

Workshops for students. Phot P. Kozłowski/ARG