The 13th edition of the Asia Pacific Maritime (APM) 2014 officially kicks off today with Guest of Honour, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Transport, Mrs Josephine Teo, gracing the opening ceremony held this morning.
Dubbed the event ‘Where the Maritime World Congregates’, the three-day bi-annual event, one of Asia’s largest and leading maritime shows, takes place at an opportune time when shipping analysts agree that things are finally steadying in what has been a tumultuous few years for the global maritime industry.
According to BIMCO Chief Shipping Analyst Mr Peter Sand, 2014 is expected “to be a better year in terms of both demand and supply than what 2013 had in store”. He adds that Asia’s role in the maritime industry will continue to grow and fuel the global shipping sector.
Mr Roberto Cazzulo, Chairman, VP Corporate Quality and Chairman, RINA Services S.p.A., RINA Group and International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) Council agrees. “Asia will continue to play an increasingly important role in shipping in the next five years. Shipping of bulk commodities and containerised trade to Asian countries, notably China and India, top-notch port operators, ever-increasing ship building quality and competencies, the ability to create maritime clusters with Singapore being a very significant example, and the policy makers sensibility in supporting the maritime industry, are among the main drivers that will continue to sustain the Asian lead in the maritime industry,” said Mr Cazzulo.
The climb in exhibitor participation and expected visitorship at this year’s APM also point to the industry’s confidence in Asia, and in particular Southeast Asia, driven by emerging economies in the region and the establishment of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) this year between ASEAN and China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.
“This edition of APM registers similar optimism as the industry, as predicted by many industry watchers. Although analysts envisaged that the industry’s odds of recovery should improve noticeably in 2014, we should set ourselves in motion by plugging the current gaps and repositioning ourselves to capitalise on the opportunities when recovery goes into full swing. APM will be a strategic regional platform for business, networking and learning for the industry,” said Ms Michelle Lim, Managing Director, Reed Exhibitions.
Record participation at APM 2014
From today until 21 March, 1,518 participating companies from 60 countries will showcase cutting-edge solutions in shipbuilding, marine engineering, port and surveillance technology that will improve productivity, fleet efficiency, ballast water management, ship safety and cut cost in these challenging times.
Occupying two floors in the Sands Expo and Convention Center, Marina Bay Sands, this year’s exhibition saw more than 15 per cent growth in exhibition floor space to 21,000 square metres, as compared to the last edition in 2012.
Over the next three days, the event is expected to draw a record number of 15,000 visitors from over 60 countries, up from almost 13,000 in 2012.
Robust business opportunities
APM will play host to 16 official pavilions, including shipping leaders from Australia, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, India, Japan, Malaysia, Norway, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
Robust business activity is also expected on the exhibition floor. China’s pavilion, up 27 per cent, is the biggest at this year’s APM and the event’s largest to date; while Finland and India will be coming in as official pavilions for the first time. A 20-strong delegation of Indonesian shipowners, led by the Indonesian National Shipowners’ Association (INSA) will provide exhibitors networking prospects with one of Southeast Asia’s most exciting markets for shipping.
The presence of prominent maritime players such as Bureau Veritas, Codar, Jason Electronics, Kongsberg Maritime, MTU, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Class NK), Rolls-Royce, Severn Trent De Nora, Siemens, Ulstein, Vard, Wärtsilä, Weichai Power, Wilhelmsen Ship Service, Cummins, Garbarino, Inmarsat, Airbus, Hamilton Jet, Twin Disc, Moteurs Baudouin, Johnson Controls, Raytheon, Thrane & Thrane, Caterpillar, Pan Asia, Nam Cheong Shipyard, MTU, Reintjes, DNV GL, SAM YUNG, among many others, will also offer networking and business opportunities for visitors.
Maritime movers and shakers convene at APM Conference
To help the industry stay ahead amid tighter regulations and increased operating costs, 51 highly-regarded maritime experts and leading business figures in the shipping world have been brought together to provide ground-breaking insights on trends and concerns dominating shipping discussions.up and Event Guide for conference synopsis.
The inaugural IMarEST Ballast Water Technology Asia Conference, organised by the Institute of Marina Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST) will also take place alongside APM 2014 on 20 March. An offshoot of the leading London conference, the one-day forum will cover regulatory and compliance issues and logistics challenges facing the maritime industry following the ratification of the International Maritime Organization’s Ballast Water Convention.
Maritime Forum in demand for showcase of New Products and Technologies
There will be 36 sessions where leading equipment manufacturers, service providers and maritime technology suppliers will showcase new products and technologies over 3 days at the Maritime Forum.
In the face of increased public attention on shipping safety, sustainability and environmental performance, shipping and offshore companies will be able to learn about the latest solutions to optimise energy efficiency and operational costs to help them with tougher environmental regulations on the maritime industry and mitigate the impact of rising energy costs.
APM 2014 will take place between 19 and 21 March 2012 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. For more information, please visit the official website at www.apmaritime.com.
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