FORUM
Capital Link German Maritime Forum “German Shipping – Prospects in a Fast-Changing World”
Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen
Nicolas Bornozis
Capital Link’s Annual German Maritime Forum took place on January 28, 2021, in digital form, with great success attracting over 1.600 participants from all over the world. The event was held in partnership with DNV GL and with the support of the German Shipowners’ Association (VDR), and enjoyed the overwhelming welcome and receptiveness both from the German and the global maritime communities. Germany commands the fifth largest merchant fleet in the world and boasts the second largest container fleet with 14.4% market share by TEU. With 316 companies and 2,140 vessels, German Shipping plays a pivotal role in the European and global supply chain. The German maritime community has gone through significant change and transformation across the board (shipowning, shipmanagement, finance and more) further accelerated by regulation, technology, market forces and the pandemic. The forum featured German industry leaders on the various panels and a large number of speakers, sharing their insight on issues specific to the German Maritime Community/Cluster and also on critical global industry topics. The digital nature of the event opens it to a global audience and makes this approach highly relevant and effective. Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO - DNV GL Maritime, Conference Chairman, in his welcoming speech at the opening of 6 SHIPPING FEBRUARY 2021
Capt. Alfred Hartmann
the inaugural Capital Link German Maritime Forum he stated that Germany is a giant of global shipping and is deeply ingrained in the DNA of his own company. “I must say it is a real pleasure to be in the midst of some of the biggest industry players that global shipping has to offer. But let me start by paying tribute to Nicolas, Capital Link’s founder, CEO, President and all-round great guy. Nicolas, I am very proud of our continued partnership and I am very much looking forward to what we will achieve together in the coming year. Capital Link is well known for its magnetic ability for bringing together the best and the brightest minds of shipping under one roof to deal with the most pressing strategic challenges confronting our industry. It is this quality of leadership which makes Capital Link such an attractive platform to partner with. After all, being a trusted voice to tackle global transformations is the very essence of DNV GL’s vision – a vision, which has propelled us throughout our 157-year history. Over the same time, this vision has gone hand-in-hand with our purpose to safeguard life, property and the environment. They are as meaningful to DNV GL now as they were all those years ago, and the role of Class has never been more relevant. “The decade of transformation”. “The exponential decade”. “Decade 4.0” - or my favorite: “The decade of collaboration and innovation” Whichever name you wish to ascribe to the decade we now
