As maritime cargo interests face up to the challenges of an increasingly automated and digitalised world trading order,
ICHCA's '20/20 Cargo Vision Conference' provides a unique platform for cargo industry and institutional stakeholders to advance the dialogue on how cargo can be transported and handled safely, securely, sustainably and profitably.
Issues in modern freight handling abound. The rising occurrence of extreme weather incidents poses more disruption, as well as greater loss and safety risks for shipping, port and cargo operations around the world.
There are also still too many preventable incidents resulting in loss of life, cargo and assets, due to factors such as mis-declaration (and non-declaration) of dangerous cargoes, inadequate training and ineffective workplace safety.
For example, the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) reports that in 2017 there were almost 1,500 casualties and incidents involving cargo vessels plying EU Member State territorial waters. Some 279 persons were injured and tragically 25 people lost their lives.
Extrapolating these figures to the global trade system - on both sea and land - gives an indication of the scale of the work that still needs to be done.
Of course, regulatory efforts at national and inter-governmental levels are continuously being undertaken. But regulation cannot work in a vacuum. Industry stakeholders and regulators need to engage in ongoing dialogue to get to the root of what is at stake.
Getting to the heart of these issues will dominate ICHCA's 20/20 Cargo Vision Conference. Aligning the complex matrix of new rules, new technology and new world the conference will headline notable speakers from regulatory bodies and industry.
This year's Regulator Keynote speaker is Heike Deggim, Director Maritime Safety Division, IMO - International Maritime Organization. She is joined for the opening remarks by Capt. Richard Brough OBE, and John Beckett, respectively, Head and Chairman of ICHCA International.
High level speakers from both the Government of Malta and local transport industry stakeholders also appear on the opening morning: Hon. Dr. Ian Borg, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, and Hon. Dr. Konrad Mizzi, Minister for Tourism, Government of Malta, Joseph Bugeja, Chairman & CEO, Transport Malta, and Alex Montebello, CEO, Malta Freeport Terminals.
The rest of Conference Day 1 will then walk delegates through the salient issues facing the global cargo industry.
Automation & Digitalisation explains how different actors need to, and can, embrace the smart cargo revolution, with contributions from Rafael Company, Director of European Projects - Innovation UE, Valenciaport Foundation, Madoka Ikemachi, Senior Director for Research, Japan Association for Cargo-Handling Machinery Systems (JACMS), Lamia Kerdjoudj-Belkaid, Secretary General, FEPORT, and Boris Wenzel, Managing Director, Terminal Link SAS (a CMA-CGM/China Merchants Port Holdings joint venture).
An Executive Leaders Panel looks at how to reshape the Health, Safety, Security & Environment (HSSE) agenda in global cargo operations with senior executives from two of the world's leading cargo stakeholders: Kevin Furniss, Vice President - Head of Corporate Safety, A.P. Moller - Maersk; and Jason Pratt, Group - Global Director Health, Safety and Environment, DP World.
Day 1 closes with an overview of the people who make their careers and livelihoods in cargo handling. How will automation and digitalisation impact the future of their work? How can the cargo industry enhance the human experience and keep people safe and productive with new technology? Among the topics raised will be the importance of workforce diversity and inclusion, and strategies for attracting the next generation of valuable employees.
In the evening, attendees are warmly invited to the ICHCA International Official Reception & Awards Ceremony, hosted by Malta Freeport Terminals. Two awards will be presented: The 3rd TT Club Innovation in Safety Award, and John Strang A.O. Memorial Award.
Conference Day 2 (Wednesday 13 November) expands on many of the factors outlined on the previous day. Several sessions are planned under the headline theme Protecting People, Cargo, Assets & Planet. Featuring expert speakers from a wide range of industry stakeholders - cargo handling operators, HSSE specialists, insurance providers, industry trade bodies and academic institutions - these sessions will address topics at the core of safe and sustainable cargo logistics.
Topic that will be discussed include: safe weighing, packing and stowage of containers and cargoes; reducing dangerous goods incidents; the worrying growth in fires on container ships; causes of injury and fatalities in ship, port and cargo logistics; the new regulatory environment after the Paris Accord; IMO2020 and greenhouse gas emission reductions; and cargo logistics in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
For more details on the seminar and to register, go to:
ichca.com/ichca-international-conference-2019.
2019 ICHCA International 20/20 Cargo Vision Conference & Exhibition
11-14 November 2019
Hilton Hotel, Malta
https://ichca.com/ichca-international-conference-2019About ICHCA International: Established in 1952, ICHCA International is an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving the safety, productivity and efficiency of cargo handling and movement worldwide. ICHCA's privileged NGO status enables it to represent its members, and the cargo handling industry at large, in front of national and international agencies and regulatory bodies, while its Technical Panel provides best practice advice and develops publications on a wide range of practical cargo handling issues. Operating through a series of national and regional chapters - including ICHCA Australia, ICHCA Japan and ICHCA Canarias/Africa (CARC) - plus Correspondence and Working Groups, ICHCA provides a focal point for informing, educating, lobbying and networking to improve knowledge and best practice across the cargo handling chain.