Die all about ports (aap) öffnet 2026 erstmals ihre Türen: Am 2. und 3. September 2026 findet die neue internationale Fachkonferenz parallel zur SMM im CCH – Congress Center Hamburg statt.

Im Mittelpunkt der aap stehen die drängenden Zukunftsfragen der globalen Hafenwirtschaft: Digitalisierung, Nachhaltigkeit, Sicherheit und Logistik sowie die wachsende Rolle von Häfen als Energie-, Sicherheits- und Logistikhubs.

Das DMZ ist als Programmpartner aktiv am Messeprogramm beteiligt (alle Veranstaltungen finden auf Englisch statt):

 

02. September 2026, 14:05-14:50 Uhr
Panel: Geopolitics at the Port Gate: Investors, Sovereignty and Supply-Chain Security
Transformation and Resilience Stage

Europe’s ports are at a crossroads. They are engines of growth and gateways to global trade, but they are also critical infrastructure, increasingly caught between the logic of open markets and the new geopolitical imperative of de-risking. How much foreign capital is healthy? Where does strategic dependency begin? And can Europe afford to close doors as new trade agreements are opening new ones?

Against the backdrop of the European Port Strategy and the new EU guidelines on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), the panel will tackle the question that port executives, investors and policymakers can no longer postpone: How do we protect critical port infrastructure from strategic dependencies, without sacrificing the competitiveness, capital and cargo that keep our ports thriving?

 

02. September 2026, 16:05-17:00 Uhr
Panel: Compete, Connect, Transform: Rethinking Port Competitiveness
Transformation and Resilience Stage

Ports are much more than cargo gateways – they are strategic nodes in global trade, regional development, and industrial transformation. In an increasingly competitive and fast-changing international environment, ports must balance cost pressures, regulatory demands, infrastructure needs, and growing expectations around sustainability, digitalization, and resilience to stay attractive for their customers. At the same time, they are shaped not only by competition, but also by cooperation across supply chains, regions, and international partnerships.

This panel brings together perspectives from ports, customers, and academia to explore the factors that determine port choice and competitiveness today and in the future. The discussion will examine what drives performance across different port types, how port choice influences supply chain decisions and which emerging challenges are most critical for keeping up in a rapidly evolving global market.

 

02. September 2026, 16:05-17:00 Uhr
Panel: Connected & Efficient: Port Hubs for Green Corridors and Blue Supply Chains in the Short Sea Shipping Sector
Energy and Sustainability Stage

Green Corridors are paving the way for future‑ready Short-Sea-connections. Ports sit at the center of this shift: they connect shipping networks, enable new fuel and shore-power infrastructure, and turn climate targets into day-to-day operations. But delivering the transition at corridor scale is complex. Who invests first — ports, operators, or energy providers? Which bottlenecks matter most: grid capacity, space, permitting, standards, or the business case?

Against the backdrop of EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime, the panel will address the questions Ship operators, port authorities, suppliers, and policymakers can no longer delay: How do we make ports the heart of the transformation while safeguarding reliability and competitiveness? And what coordinated roadmap is needed to scale infrastructure and fuel availability to meet EU and national targets.

 

03. September 2026, 10:35-11:00 Uhr
Dialog: Funding the Future: Navigating Europe’s Maritime Landscape for Port Ecosystems
Transformation and Resilience Stage

Europe’s port ecosystems are at a turning point and navigating the maritime landscape for EU funding has never been more critical. This session opens with a compact presentation packed with facts and figures on EU funding opportunities for ports and logistics. Helena Rapp (DMZ) and Jaap Gebraad (Waterborne TP) then dive into a candid dialogue on the real chances and challenges of EU funding, kicking off from the EU Port Strategy and its compelling premise: innovation as a competitive factor.

Together, they will navigate key funding streams and unpack the Waterborne Technology Roadmap for Port Ecosystems and, drawing on hands-on experience from the Zero Emission Waterborne Transport Partnership (ZEWT) in Horizon Europe, explore the role of partnerships as an enabler in both funding journeys and the wider innovation chain. This dialogue-format session turns complexity into clarity and shows what funding opportunities – from major EU programmes to tools like the Maritimer Förderkompass Europa – are realistically within reach for port ecosystems across Europe.

 

Das gesamte Messeprogramm können Sie hier einsehen. Die Teilnahme an der aap ist im SMM-Ticket inbegriffen.