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 mit einem Stand vor Ort (Halle H, Stand 210) und ist außerdem 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: Foreign Investment, Security and Resilience
Transformation and Resilience Stage

European ports are critical nodes for trade, energy supply, industrial value chains, military mobility and digital infrastructure. To expand and modernise, they depend on international capital, technology, expertise and global connectivity. Foreign investors, terminal operators and strategic partners can therefore make an important contribution to the competitiveness and resilience of European ports.

At the same time, foreign engagement may create strategic dependencies or provide leverage over critical infrastructure. Ownership structures, terminal concessions, access to sensitive data and exposure to geopolitical tensions raise questions that go beyond the commercial interests of individual ports. The central challenge for Europe is to remain open to international investment while protecting its strategic interests. This panel will explore where foreign investment strengthens European ports and where it may create new vulnerabilities. It will discuss how risks can be identified and managed, whether existing European instruments are sufficient.

Speakers:

• Agatha Kratz, Partner & Director bei Rhodium Group
• Matthias Wittenburg, Senior Executive Advisor bei Strategy&
• Danique de Jonge, Senior Policy Advisor bei European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO)

Moderation: Frederic Auel, Research Associate (DMZ)

 

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.

Speakers:

• Prof. Dr. Sebastian Jürgens, Präsident Zentralverband der deutschen Seehafenbetriebe
• Sin-Yee Loh, Regional Director (Europe)/ Counsellor (Maritime) bei Maritime and Port Authority Singapore (Europe Regional Centre)
• Mirja Nibbe, Managing Director bei CMA CGM
• Hendrik Peterburs, Vice President Global Logistics bei ENERCON bei ENERCON
• Christina Prieser, VP Asia Pacific and Associate Partner bei HPC Hamburg Port Consulting GmbH

Moderation: Johannes Puckelwald, Advisor for Ports and Infrastructure (DMZ)

 

02. September 2026, 16:05-16:55 Uhr
Panel: Short Sea Shipping 2035: Navigating the Transition to a Sustainable and Competitive Future
Energy and Sustainability Stage

How can ports and shipping companies make the transition to efficient and sustainable Short Sea Shipping and Port Operations a reality by 2035? The transition is gathering pace, but it comes with significant challenges for ports and shipping companies. They face long-term and costly transformation processes while having to respond to increasing regulatory pressure, including the EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime, as well as considerable market uncertainty surrounding future fuels.

With three port representatives and one shipping company representative, the panel will explore the key challenges facing maritime stakeholders: Who is expected to invest, and when? How can the risks and costs of the transition be shared? And how should stakeholders respond to uncertain fuel availability, changing regulations and evolving market conditions? The discussion will also focus on the respective roles of ports, shipping companies and other partners in driving the transition. What should efficient and sustainable port operations look like in 2035, and which measures are needed today to make this vision a reality while safeguarding reliability and competitiveness?

Speakers:

• Hanno Bromeis, Head of Port Energy Solutions, Hamburg Port Authority
• Laura Langh-Lagerlöf, Managing Director, Langh Group
• Maurice Delattre, Regional Director Europe, Port of Amsterdam
• Jan Schwarz, Head of Marketing and Sales at LHG, Port of Lübeck

Moderation: Henning Martin, Project Manager Short Sea Shipping (DMZ)

 

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.

Speaker:

• Jaap Gebraad, Secretary General bei Waterborne

Moderation: Dr Helena Rapp, Advisor for European Initiatives and Funding Programmes (DMZ)

 

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