“SMM serves as a platform for addressing the most important issues of the maritime industry. It helps pave the way into a sustainable and digitalised future,” said Claus Ulrich Selbach, Business Unit Director – Maritime and Technology Fairs at Hamburg Messe und Congress. The Global Maritime Environmental Congress (gmec) and Offshore Dialogue will focus on decarbonising shipping. “The shipping industry urgently needs alternative fuels to achieve its carbon neutrality goal,” said Professor Sören Ehlers, Director of the DLR Institute of Maritime Energy Systems. “Whether methanol or ammonia – the basis will be hydrogen,” he added. Other speakers include Dieter Janecek, the German government’s Coordinator for the Maritime Industry, Torgeir Sterri, Offshore Classification Director at DNV Maritime, and Erik Seidelmann from Current Scientific Corporation. The Maritime Future Summit will also focus on the role of AI in digitalisation and the “AI for the Oceans Award” will also be presented in the AI Centre. Practical applications will be demonstrated by the HullSkater robot for ship hull cleaning. Fledgling companies can attend the Startup Route, the Maritime Innovation Challenge of the MS&D Conference (International Conference on Maritime Security and Defence) and the Startup Pitches competition organised by Maritime Startups Germany.