High-Profile Speakers and Key Future Topics: All About Ports Presents Conference Programme
Solutions for resilient and climate-neutral ports in focus: On 2 and 3 September, All About Ports will bring together international experts at the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg to address key challenges facing the port industry. As an international conference accompanied by an exhibition, the event will take place alongside SMM – the world’s leading maritime industry event. The programme features renowned speakers including Dr Melanie Leonhard, Hamburg’s Senator for Economic Affairs and Innovation, Jens Meier, CEO of Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), Roy Avrahami of the Port of Ashdod, and numerous other international experts from the port, logistics and political sectors.
Hamburg, 10 June 2026 – Ports are under growing pressure: they must keep supply chains resilient, support the energy transition, integrate digital technologies while at the same time strengthening their security measures. How these challenges can be addressed will be the focus of discussions at All About Ports on 2 and 3 September 2026 at the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg. The new conference and exhibition provides a platform for integrated port solutions and will be held alongside SMM – the world’s leading maritime industry event – and in conjunction with LogiNext Germany, the new industry gathering for digital logistics innovation featuring an accompanying exhibition.
Transformation und Resilience
How can ports become more resilient, sustainable and technologically advanced? Through numerous sessions, panels and keynotes across three stages, the event explores the industry’s most pressing questions from a variety of perspectives. Jens Meier, CEO of Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), will speak on the Transformation & Resilience Stage about intelligent port management and the role of automated mobile sensor technology in improving efficiency, sustainability and the protection of critical port infrastructure. Meier is President of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) and Patron of All About Ports. “Ports today are far more than cargo handling hubs – they are nodes for data, energy and international cooperation,” says Dr Melanie Leonhard, Hamburg’s Senator for Economic Affairs and Innovation, who will open the second day of the conference. “Maritime resilience is not an abstract objective for us; it is a core element of our economic and location policy.”
Security and Resilience
Security issues are also moving increasingly into focus. Ports play a vital role within European defence policy. They serve as strategically important logistics hubs for military equipment while simultaneously representing potential targets for attack. Roy Avrahami, Chief Innovation Officer of Israel’s Port of Ashdod, will discuss the security of maritime infrastructure in an age of hybrid threats. “Collaboration is one of our strongest tools: crises know no borders, and our cooperation should not either,” says All About Ports Patron Jens Meier.
Digitalisation and Automation
Extensive digitalisation and automation are making ports fit for the future and have become key competitive factors. Two panels – “From Ship to Port – Digital Interfaces as the Key to Efficient Port Processes” and “Autonomous Cargo Handling – How Far Can Port Automation Go?” – will examine technological advances in logistics processes. In this context, Torben Seebald, Chief Human Resources Officer at HHLA, Hamburg’s largest port logistics company, will explore the impact of automation on port employment. Which skills will be required in the future, and how can employees be successfully included in the transformation process? The discussion focuses on how ports can remain productive while ensuring social sustainability.
Funding and Port Strategy
As part of Germany’s National Port Strategy, the Federal Government has defined strategic objectives and around 140 operational measures, accompanied by a dedicated funding package. However, given the scale of investment required, the question of additional financing sources remains crucial. Helena Rapp of the German Maritime Center will explain which funding opportunities are available at EU level and how ports can benefit from them.
Energy and Sustainability
Climate-friendly shipping and green transport corridors are considered key building blocks of the maritime transition. Ports play a crucial role in this process, as they must provide the necessary infrastructure for alternative fuels and low-emission shipping operations. One of the topics featured on the Energy & Sustainability Stage is “Smart Bunkering: How Living Labs Are Defining Standards for Alternative Fuels.” Another discussion will offer a reality check on the energy transition, examining how environmental goals, economic requirements and infrastructure constraints can be brought into balance.
Across the globe, stakeholders are developing roadmaps for the emission-free port – a challenge that affects every level of port operations. Antonia Kuntze, Head of Fleet Services at Flotte Hamburg, will outline the path from a green to an emission-free port fleet and highlight the role-model function of public-sector organisations.
Platform und Expertise
All About Ports offers participants a diverse and forward-looking programme. “With All About Ports, we are creating a platform where international decision-makers can discuss and jointly develop solutions for resilient and climate-neutral ports,” says Claus Ulrich Selbach, Vice President Exhibitions Maritime and Energy at Hamburg Messe und Congress (HMC). Alongside the conference, leading technology providers and innovative start-ups will showcase their solutions for the port logistics of tomorrow.
Strong Industry Support
The event is supported by a strong network of industry partners, including IAPH, HPA, HPC Hamburg Port Consulting, Maritime Cluster Northern Germany, the German Seaport Operators Association (ZDS), the German Maritime Center, Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM), the Central Association of German Shipbrokers, terminal operator EUROGATE, and the Federation of European Private Port Companies and Terminals (FEPORT). With its interdisciplinary approach, All About Ports fosters exchange on innovative technologies, sustainable infrastructure concepts and future-ready port locations.
Tickets and Participation
Tickets and further information are available at
The new platform for holistic port solutions – ALL ABOUT PORTS
Admission to all about ports is included in the SMM ticket.
