The ESPO Conference 2023 (19th edition) will take place in Bremen on 1 and 2 June, and will be hosted by Bremenports, one of the most important ports in Europe.
Bremen, city with a long maritime history and tradition, will be the setting for organising the annual conference and networking events dedicated to the European port industry, with a programme that also this year aims at combining broadening-the-lens sessions with hands-on debates.
The spectacular venue of the Conference will welcome guests is the magnificent heritage-listed Parkhotel and located in in the centre of Bürgerpark, the green lung of Bremen.
The conference will by mainly dedicated to “Europe’s ports as partners in the race towards a net-zero future“, sustainable, resilient and competitive.
The Europe has been facing over the last few years different crises, including new geopolitical context and connected energy crisis, climate crisis, inflation and crunch on the labour market, which are turning the economy and society landscape, directly affecting Europe’s ports.
On day one of the conference will start with an economic and energy outlook, and will discuss the impact of all these game changers on supply chains and port operations. What will be the impact of the green transition on cargo flows? How will the energy and net zero industry impact Europe’s ports? Are the US IRA and the EU’s Green Deal Industrial plan reshaping the global trade? Are we heading towards a geopolitisation of trade? Is the outlook different for different parts of Europe?
The ESPO Pop Up Port Academy in the afternoon of day one will discuss the different funding possibilities and will seek answers on three concrete questions: How can ports plan for the future in an ever-changing world? Who will be “fueling” the future ports? What is the role of ports in fueling the future?
On day two of the conference, the opener session will kick with a debate about cooperation and will look at the specific case of the energy islands, whose ports are getting a new role.
In the final part of the conference, politics will be discussed. How to keep pace with the numerous legislative packages and measures Europe is preparing to face these crises (Fit for 55, REPower EU, the Green Deal Industrial Plan) and how do policy makers see ports evolving.
Different keynotes will be followed by a final big debate with top EU decision makers.
The conference will be followed by a boat visit to the Port of Bremen.
The programme, registration process and further details can be found on the conference website: www.espo-conference.com
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