In the first week of June, I attended transport logistic fair in Munich with my team from the German Maritime Centre. We had a booth there for the second time after 2023 and we also organized a panel on the role of short sea and inland waterways shipping for heavy and oversized cargo. The topic was no coincidence. Earlier this year, we launched a new project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Transportation through a separate grant, to study the issue and develop a strategy for Germany.
The fair was huge. Over 2,700 exhibitors covered all areas of transportation and logistics – not just shipping, but also aviation, rail, and road. Over 77,000 people attended, making it by far the biggest fair of its kind worldwide.
The organizers dedicated several halls to the maritime sector. The representation included major shipping lines, ports, and regions, with several of our members—such as the German states of Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Bremen, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern—sharing booths with port authorities and other key players.
For me, as someone who is still a newbie to the industry, it was once again a great learning experience and a great opportunity to reconnect with stakeholders and to meet new people.