MAGAZYN GDAŃSKI
has proved to be the ideal opportunity to launch
the ABB Ability™ Marine Pilot Control dynamic
positioning (DP) system as part of the journey
towards autonomous shipping,” explained Mikko
Lepistö, Senior Vice President at ABB Marine &
Ports, PG Digital Solutions. „All of our major cu-
stomers are here, and the organisers of SMM have
worked tirelessly together with our team to make
this possible.”
SMM: Maritime Sector Shows
Strength and Innovative Power
Today, Friday, is the final day of SMM 2018. The trade fair brought together aro-
und 50,000 industry visitors from more than 120 countries, once again highligh-
ting its importance as the leading international maritime trade fair. Under the
motto „Trends in SMMart Shipping”, the fair focused on digitalisation and ‘green
shipping’ this year. Featuring a total of 2,289 exhibitors from 69 nations, and five
accompanying conferences, SMM more than met the industry’s high expectations,
setting new standards for internationality and innovation.
ceremony at the Hamburg City Hall as well as the
opening press conference and was a guest speaker
at one of the special conferences where he explained
the environmental agenda of IMO.
Furthermore, SMM 2018 welcomed 15 busi-
ness and 12 political delegations from Germany
and other countries.
Hamburg, 07/09/2018 – Thirteen halls co-
vering a total of 93.000 m2 exhibition floor: SMM
has again demonstrated in impressive ways that
it is rightly called the biggest and most important
trade fair of the global maritime sector. Bernd Au-
fderheide, President and CEO of Hamburg Messe
und Congress GmbH, is highly pleased with the
outcome of the four-day event: “SMM 2018 was
a full success, not only for us as the organisers
but also, and especially so, for the exhibitors and
visitors. We again welcomed the Who’s Who of the
maritime world to our exhibition halls this year, and
we have seen again that there is nothing that can
replace the person-to-person interaction between
the key players of the sector. We successfully ad-
dressed the shipping community’s most pressing
issues, delivering fresh impetus for the future.”
Aufderheide was also extremely pleased about the
fact that Kitack Lim, Secretary General of the Inter-
national Maritime Organization (IMO), was able to
attend SMM. Lim participated in the SMM opening
24
Hamburg hosts the maritime world
SMM reflects the entire value chain of the
maritime industry: From lube oil filters offered by
the specialist Bollfilter to the signal horn by Zöll-
ner through to Furuno’s radar system and a ship
engine manufactured by the global market leader,
MAN Energy Solutions, the diversity of exhibits was
breath-taking. The fair’s roughly 50,000 visitors
were able to choose Theme Routes guiding them
to specific exhibitors, including the new Cruise
& Ferry Route. Interior design for ships, and in
particular, cruise ship cabin design, was especially
popular this year: “Being here is extremely valuable
for us. We had countless great conversations with
partners from around the world,” reports Thomas
Töpfer, CEO of RReinhold & Mahla.
New business contacts, new products,
new strategies
The digital revolution – a maritime
reality
It was not by accident that the organisers of
SMM had chosen the motto „Trends in SMMart Ship-
ping”: Digitalisation is one of the key drivers of the
industry, along with environment protection. Many
exhibition stands gave evidence of this, frequently
using touchscreens, simulators and virtual reality
goggles to make their innovative technologies more
tangible for visitors. „This year you can really see
the digital revolution entering the maritime sector.
SMM is a great place to meet up with this,” said
Frank Coles, president of Transas Group, a Wärtsilä
company. Other exhibitors agreed: „As th e digital
revolution becomes maritime reality, SMM 2018
The opportunity to network is something
both, exhibitors and industry visitors appreciate
particularly at SMM: „Attending this fair every two
years is a must for us since it is here we can meet up
with all our partners and customers in one place,”
said Jan-Christoph Lötzsch, Director After Sales &
Service at Raytheon Anschütz.