Every two years, the shipping world meets in Hamburg for the SMM. It has long been a good tradition to not only celebrate the booming industry on this occasion, but also to take a look at the risks. That is why the Maritime Security and Defence (MS&D) conference is being held.
This year’s SMM is under the motto “Driving the Maritime Transition”. Nowhere are the challenges to be mastered on the world’s oceans more evident than in the field of security. It is the traditional subject of the MS&D – this year under very different circumstances than in the past.
Civil and military shipping are equally concerned. Whether in the Black or Red Sea, on Africa’s west and east coasts, and not least in the eastern part of Asia, there are completely new threats, technologies and tactics. The speed of change and new forms of conflict are unusual and surprising even for long-standing experts.
Times of upheaval require solutions for the future. With its “Course 2035+”, the German Navy has set a pioneering example for many others by describing some of the new trends. Artificial intelligence, unmanned systems in all dimensions, and larger numbers of simple systems instead of a few complex large-scale projects characterize this path.
There are enough good analyses, now is the time to implement them. In most countries, defense spending is increasing. This alone makes it attractive for many new providers to enter the growing security and defense market with unconventional ideas. At the same time, established manufacturers are looking for innovative partners to develop alternative technology segments.
Dual use is the order of the day – and this is where the SMM’s full strength comes into play: it has always exhibited civil and military technology side by side.
This is exactly where MS&D comes in. With its “Challenges of Transition in The Naval and Maritime Domain” program, it wants to bring together actors who are often still unknown to each other. The discussions are about challenges and solutions in equal measure. Representatives from navies and industry, from science and start-ups will be on stage together.
As the German Maritime Institute, we are firmly convinced that this conference will provide a strong impetus to make new ideas a reality. We are looking forward to MS&D 2024.
