MSC Speaks at IAPH World Ports Conference in Antwerp

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company will see two prominent speakers taking the stage at this year’s World Ports Conference. The virtual event, hosted by the International Association of Ports and Harbours in conjunction with IHS Markit and Port of Antwerp, runs from 21-25 June.

On 23 June at 16:00 CEST MSC CEO Soren Toft will deliver a keynote on the essential evolution of container shipping and logistics. While COVID-19 has brought some companies and industries to a standstill, container shipping & logistics has prevailed as an absolutely essential sector that continues to connect the world and make global trade affordable. In his keynote, Soren Toft will give a fresh perspective on the agenda priorities for the sector to ensure it keeps on evolving to meet the needs of global trade in a digitalising and decarbonising landscape. His keynote will be followed by a discussion with Port of Antwerp CEO Jacques Vandermeiren around how shipping and ports can collaborate in keeping pace with these trends.

Prior to that, on the same day at 15:15 CEST, Andre Simha, MSC Chief Digital & Information Officer, will be in a one-to-one session with Eric Johnson, Technology Editor at Journal of Commerce, on the recently launched MSC electronic bill of lading. What can digitisation of trade documents do to the future of shipping?  What are the opportunities and how should ports prepare themselves for this change? How can ports work with terminal operators, ship agents, forwarders and customs to adapt their processes to improve the speed of release of cargo? These are just some of the questions to be addressed in what promises to be a very insightful interview.

Shaping the port landscape

The 2021 event will focus on exploring how the port landscape is changing as a result of the evolving maritime & logistics sector landscape, including the acceleration of decarbonisation and digitalization and the ongoing disruptive impact of the global pandemic.

Besides being a strategic location for MSC in Europe, Antwerp means a lot to the company as it is where it all started for MSC. Today, both MSC and the Port of Antwerp play an important role in the local economy. In addition to the ocean liner business, which connects this vital European gateway to the rest of the world, MSC also offers customers a range of dedicated intermodal services between Antwerp and major business centres in Northern Europe and beyond.

Register for the event here.