Europort 2017 will once again feature a series of masterclasses allowing leading maritime and offshore professionals and experts to share knowledge and experiences on the hot topics facing ship owners, operators and suppliers. For each masterclass, a plenary session with four invited speakers will be followed by opportunities to ask questions of a panel of experts and to network afterwards.

Raymond Siliakus, Exhibition Manager, Europort, says, “These popular masterclasses have become a ‘must-attend’ part of the event. In just three hours those attending can learn about the key research and development initiatives that are going on within the industry from experts chosen for their unique, specialist knowledge.”

Two of this year’s masterclasses will focus on Big Data. The first of these, on Tuesday November 7th, will assess how the Internet of Things and Blockchain can improve supply chain efficiency. A second session, on Thursday November 9th, will look at how Big Data can minimise the total cost of ownership. Speakers confirmed so far include Alex Bausch, Blockchain Ecosystem Network and Gerben de Boer of Van Oord.

The New Environmental Age themed masterclass will take place on Wednesday 8th November and will focus on how companies can use energy management techniques to comply with the European Union’s European Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV) system, which applies from 2018. Also on the agenda are zero emission, zero energy consumption vessels, plus the energy efficient design and operation of cruise vessels and dedicated decision support tools that can more effectively manage energy consumption. Already confirmed is a programme including presentations by Teus den Beek, Wärtsilä; Nick Lurkin, Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners; Sebastian Sala, Carnival Maritime; and Giuseppe Stranieri, from CETENA.

The fourth masterclass, part of Europort 2017’s Human Factor theme, will take place on Friday November 10th, where speakers will offer a fresh perspective on how HR can be beneficial in future-proofing organisations and improve business results. Data-driven HR will be the topic addressed by Erik van Vulpen of Analytics in HR, while other speakers will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

“Increasingly, the maritime sector will come to rely on having a highly skilled workforce that can innovate to counter tough market conditions,” says Mr Siliakus. “Visiting Europort will allow you to discover innovative ways of engaging with talented younger generation professionals as well as retaining highly-valued existing staff members.”

The Europort masterclasses are an initiative of Rotterdam Ahoy and Netherlands Maritime Technology (NMT), the Dutch association of shipyards, maritime supplies and service providers. Sanne de Vleeschhouwer, innovation manager at NMT says, “These masterclasses are an efficient and inspiring way to get the latest insights into the hot issues facing the industry and represent an excellent chance to share ideas and knowledge, and gain inspiration from a unique learning and networking opportunity.”

Tags: Europort 2017