Tackling industry challenges

More than 250 delegates attended the conference to discuss the major factors affecting ferry operations around the world.

Through presentations and panel discussions, the event looked at the diversity of political, technical, operational and commercial issues including safety and alternative fuels.

Paul Holthus, founding CEO of the World Ocean Council, said: “We are trying to help industries look beyond their sector of the ocean and overlap with others to think about their interactions.”

“Ocean industries will benefit from collaboration with other sectors to create synergies and economies of scale in addressing issues. This is a leadership opportunity for responsible companies based on compelling business value,” he added.

Speakers at the event discussed the safety aspects of ship design, stating that “goals-based” rather than “rules-based” damage stability regulations are better for addressing the life-cycle risk at design stage.

Delegates also discussed LNG as a fuel to meet emissions and efficiency challenges stating that while LNG is now easily available throughout Europe, there are concerns about the lack of bunkering infrastructure and technology.