25th SMM expands with Offshore Dialogue

SMM in Hamburg is the international platform and the leading forum for the maritime industry, the biggest marine event taking place in Europe this year. It is where the world’s leading companies present their innovations, trends and forward looking technologies to tens of thousands of visitors from across the globe.

Visitors can meet industry leaders and personalities, find out all about new products and services, and generate vital contacts. The conferences and workshops which accompany the fair provide trade visitors with new insights with which to explore the promising developmental potential of the various maritime industies.

There are further attractive opportunities for synergies for visitors this year, with the association between the MS&D conference and the Maritime Security and Defence section at SMM. SMM is also the trail blazer for green technologies in shipbuilding and the marine equipment industry. The global maritime environmental congress (gmec) will be held alongside SMM.

More than 500 international experts are expected at the SMM Offshore Dialogue, special show on offshore technologies which may be of particular interest to Maritime Journal’s readers.

The offshore segment is one of the most promising fields of activity within the maritime industries, with the main focus on provision of hardware and services both for wind energy as a growth market and for the boom sector of offshore oil and gas production.

The technical challenges and economic opportunities will be addressed by the expert panels at SMM Offshore Dialogue on 6 September at SMM 2012.

The complexity of offshore energy production is increasing. The rise in oil prices means that exploration and development of hard to access offshore deposits in ultra deep sea areas is becoming increasingly worthwhile, and is attracting major investments by oil and gas production companies. The know how of the maritime industry is much in demand, with new supply vessels, platforms, drilling ships and equipment, and engineering services.

The same also applies to the offshore wind energy sector. Europe, and in particular the UK, have a key role to play here. According to figures from the EWEA (European Wind Energy Association), a total of 1,371 turbines were on stream in the whole of Europe at the end of 2011 with installed power rating of 3.8 GW. Another 18 projects which are currently in progress will increase capacity to 9 GW. Approvals have been granted in a total of twelve European countries for a further 18 GW. That opens up enormous business fields for the maritime sector, such as laying foundations, building transformer stations, installation and maintenance of turbines, and laying marine cables.

The close connections between these two segments will in future be given particular attention by Hamburg Messe und Congress (HMC). After the next SMM, in September 2014, a new event will be held on the Hamburg Fair site. WindEnergy Hamburg, a global onshore and offshore expo, will provide tremendous synergy for exhibitors and trade visitors alike.

For SMM 2012, a special show on offshore technologies will be held in the South Foyer, presenting the latest development projects. It will feature leading research institutes and companies making presentation of their latest exhibits, enhanced by films and animations.

One example is the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research showing models of the Polarstern, a research ship with a distinguished history, and of the Antarctic research station Neumayer III. GEOMAR, the Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, will give a live presentation of four underwater vehicles; ABYSS, Float, Glider and OBS, and also present a 3D globe.

The ‘Fascinating Offshore’ exhibition by the OFFSHORE WINDENERGIE Foundation will have a range of exhibits, multi-media presentations and audio-visual presentations explaining in an instructive but entertaining way the future technology of energy generation offshore.

Alongside this special show and the SMM Offshore Dialogue, SMM 2012 has further focal areas, known as ‘premium events. Gmec is an integrated part of the SMM supporting programme for the second time. The Ship Finance Forum will be held for the fourth time, hosted jointly by HMC and Financial Times Deutschland on the day before the start of SMM. MS&D, international conference on maritime security and defence Hamburg, covers another range of topics.

Over 2,000 exhibitors from more than 60 countries are expected at SMM 2012. There will be more than 50,000 trade visitors from all parts of the world, and the supporting programme comprises more than 150 programme items.