The conference will be spread over four and half days and is intended to stimulate various debates with the scope of reaching conclusions and make proposals that would be presented to the various stakeholders for their consideration. Thus the theme “The Voice of the Industry”.
MONDAY 7th OCTOBER 2024
| 16:00 Registration | |
| 17:30 Harbour Cruise | |
| 19:30 Opening reception and Malta Maritime Awards Ceremony by invitation |
TUESDAY 8th OCTOBER 2024
Policy Makers & The Industry
| 08:00 Registration, Welcome Coffee | |
| 08:45 Inauguration of Art Exhibition in aid of Stella Maris | |
| 09:00 Opening Remarks followed by keynote speeches: | |
| Hon. Chris Bonett – Minister – Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure & Public Works, Malta Fotini Ioannidou, Director Waterborne Transport, DG H.E. Arsenio Dominguez – IMO SG Dr Emanuele Grimaldi – Chairman – International Chamber of Shipping Ms Marily Frangista – President – MISA | |
| 09:45 Session 1: Are the policy makers in sync with the industry? | |
| Kurt Farrugia – CEO of Transport Malta | |
| Moderator: | Prof George Theocharidis – WMU |
| Panellists: | Hon. Chris Bonett – Minister – Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure & Public Works, Malta Hon. Edoardo Rixi – Deputy Minister – Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport, Italy Hon. Christos Stylianides – Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Greece Dr Emanuele Grimaldi – Chairman – International Chamber of Shipping John Lyras – Board Member of MISA, UGS, ICS Sotiris Raptis – ECSA Hon. Lídia Bulcão – Secretary of State for the Sea |
| 10:45 Session 2: Geopolitics & the disruption of the world seaborn trade | |
| Moderator: | Nigel Lowry – Lloyds List Intelligence |
| Panellists: | Gian Enzo Duci – ESA Leendart Bal – EMSA Capt. Thomas Scalabre – Commander of MICA CENTER Stuart Neil – Director of Strategy and Communications, ICS |
| 11:30 | COFFEE BREAK |
| 12:00 Session 3: European Union – Path ahead from a Europe of crisis to a Europe of solutions. | |
| Moderator: | Angelo Scorza – Ship2Shore |
| Panellists: | Alberto Rossi – Assermatiori Capt. Thomas Scalabre – Commander of MICA CENTER |
| 12:45 Session 4: The role of ESG in Shipping | |
| Presentation: | Gina Panayiotou – Founder and CEO, Oceans Arena l Chair and Founder, World ESG Forum |
| 13:00 Session 5: A future vision for Ports | |
| Presentation by Alessandro Panaro followed by discussion | |
| Moderator: | Alessandro Panaro – Head of the Research Area of SRM |
| Panellists: | Cpt David Bugeja – Chief Officer, Maritime Affairs Transport Malta Gerardo Landaluce Calleja – Algeciras Port President Anaelle Boudry – ESPO Senior Advisor Pino Musolino – Medports David Magro – CEO – Malta Freeport Capt. Terence Farrugia – Malta Maritime Pilots |
| 14:00 LUNCH | |
WEDNESDAY 9th OCTOBER 2024
Navigating Maritime Transition – Innovations & Strategies for Sustainable Shipping
| 09:00 Opening Remarks | |
| 09:15 Session 1: Navigating Climate Governance and the Maritime Energy Transition: A public & private perspective. | |
| Moderator: | Profs.Gian Enzo Duci – University of Genoa |
| Panellists: | John Lyras – Board Member of MISA, UGS, ICS Antonis Trakakis – Technical Director, RINA Aakash Dua – Regional Business Development Director, DNV Mats Nyfors – General Manager, Decarbonization and Co-creation, Wärtsilä Stuart Neil – Director of Strategy and Communications, ICS Andreas Chrysostomou – CSO – Tototheo Global & Executive Director Clean Shipping Alliance |
| 10:15 Session 2: Presentation by Karmenu Vella – Former EU Commissioner | |
| 10:30 Session 3: Environment & Oceans: Protection | |
| Carlo Micallef – CEO, Malta Tourism Authority | |
| Moderator: | Dr Anastasia Kiritsi – Professor, Arden University |
| Panellists: | Prof. Adriana Vella – Chair of the University of Malta Maritime Platform. Ivan Sammut – REMPEC Lisa Simone de Grunt – World Ocean Council Maria Schembri – Advisor, Malta Enterprise |
| 11:15 Session 4: Message from Eero Lehtovaara, Chairman Waterborne Technology Platform V.Z.W. | |
| 11:30 COFFEE BREAK | |
| 12:00 Speech by Hon Minister Miriam Dalli – Minister for Environment, Energy and Regeneration of the Grand Harbour. | |
| 12:15 Session 5: Digital Transformation: Digitalisation, Automation, the transformative power of AI | |
| Moderator: | Andreas Chrysostomou – CSO – Tototheo Global & Executive Director Clean Shipping Alliance |
| Panellists: | Dr. Shiv K. Tripathi, Dean of the Faculty, Berlin School of Business and Innovation (Vice Chancellor, Atmiya University, India) Dr Josianne Cutajar – Lawyer and Former MEP |
| 13:00 Session 6: Prioritising the Human Element | |
| Moderator: | Dr. Shiv K. Tripathi, Dean of the Faculty, Berlin School of Business and Innovation (Vice Chancellor, Atmiya University, India). |
| Panellists: | Xanthos Kyriakou – Managing Director – Columbia Shipmanagement Capt. Alexia Fenech – Technical Coordinator, Malta Motorways of the Sea |
| 13:30 Session 7: New built vessels vs Extending a vessel’s life | |
| Debate: | Uday Yellapurkar – Director/Chairman – Elegant Exit Company (EEC) Profs Andreas G. Merikas – Dirctor, GMS |
| 13:45 LUNCH | |
THURSDAY 10th OCTOBER 2024
Legal & Financial Challenges – Sanctions, Criminalisation of seafarers, Maritime courts & arbitration centres.
Financial challenges of shipping’s transition to a more sustainable future
| 09:00 Opening Remarks followed by Keynote Speech by | Hon. Ian Borg – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade |
| 09:10 Speech by | Dr Matthew Attard – President – MMLA |
| 09:15 Session 1: Beijing Convention on the Judicial Sale of Ships – Presentation by Dr.Ann Fenech (CMIPresident) | |
| 09:30 Session 2: The Golden Era of Ship Finance | |
| Moderator: | Jim Lawrence – Chairman, Marine Money |
| Panellists: | Christos Sigalas – Associate Professor at Deree-The American College of Greece Fabrizio Vettosi – General Director of VSL Club Matthew Xerri – Ganado Advocates Marco Fiori – CEO of the Premuda Group Enrico Molisani – Managing Partner, Wegal |
| 10:15 Session 3: War Risk Insurance: Recent Developments | |
| Debate: | Profs Andreas G. Merikas – Dirctor, GMS George Margaritopoulos – Associate Director – Richards Hogg Lindley |
| 11:00 Session 4: Sanctions: A case study – An American perspective | |
| Presentation: | George Chalos – Principal and Founding Member of Chalos and Co, P.C. |
| 11:30 COFFEE BREAK | |
| 12:00 Session 5: Sanctions – The Legal Implications | |
| Presentation: | Neville Aquilina – Sanctions Monitoring Board, Malta. |
| Moderator: | Dr Mariella Grech – Secretary of the Sanctions Monitoring Board, Malta. |
| Panellists: | Mr. Neville Aquilina – Chair, Sanctions Monitoring Board, Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, Malta Capt. Fritz Farrugia – Chief Officer and Harbour Master, Ports & Yachting Directorate Dr Alessia Carbone – the Director for Transnational Threats and Sanctions at the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade Dr Geraldine A. Spiteri Lucas – CEO, Malta Business Registry |
| 12:45 Session 6: Criminalisation of Seafarer, UNCLOS, Crew Safety & the Red Sea – The legal implications | |
| Moderator: | Elda Kazara-Belja – Senior Lecturer / Head of Administration, IMO International Maritime Law Institute |
| Panellists: | Paris Andrianopoulos – Managing Director, THALPIS CRS S.A. George Chalos – Principal and Founding Member of Chalos and Co, P.C. |
| 13:30 LUNCH | |
FRIDAY 11th OCTOBER 2024
| 09:00 Opening Remarks and keynote speeches by: | |
| Hon. Clayton Bartolo – Minister for Tourism and Public Cleanliness Dr Gavin Gulia – Chairman – Malta Tourism Authority | |
| 09:30 Session 1: Sea Tourism – Cruise Liners Overtourism Impact / Luxury Cruising | |
| Presentation: | Theodoros Kontes – Director – Majestic International Cruises |
| 10:00 Session 2: Sea Tourism – Finding a Balance | |
| Panellists: | Theodoros Kontes – DIRECTOR, Majestic International Cruises Stephen Xuereb – COO, Global Ports Holding Kevin Fsadni – Director, Malta Tourism Authority |
| 10:45 Session 3: Raising Marina Standards – International Marina Hubs | |
| Moderator: | Nicholas Valenzia – Partner at Mamo TCV Advocates. |
| Panellists: | Niki Travers Tauss – CEO of Valletta Superyachts Mathieu E. Salomon – Technical Director – Camper and Nicholsons Marinas Michael Mifsud – CEO, Yachting Malta |
| 11:30 COFFEE BREAK | |
| 12:00 Session 4: Yacht Management – Challenges and Opportunities | |
| Moderator: | Gian Enzo Duci – Mediterranean Ship Management |
| Panellists: | Paul Cardona – Director and Managing Surveyor/Consultant at MICS Ltd – Malta Kurt Gutteridge – Director of NAS |
| 12:45 Session 5: Yachting – Opportunities beyond registration | |
| Moderator: | Michael Mifsud – CEO, Yachting Malta |
| Panellists: | Nicholas Valenzia – Partner at Mamo TCV Advocates. Christophe Bourillon – CEO of the Professional Yachting Association (PYA) Kurt Gutteridge – Director of NAS |
| 13:30 LUNCH | |
