With the new congress and expo “all about ports” Hamburg Messe und Congress creates a forum for the future of the port industry

With the all about ports, Hamburg Messe und Congress (HMC) is launching a new international conference dedicated to the future of the port industry. The premiere, “the new platform for holistic port solutions”, will take place on 2 and 3 September 2026 at the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg. The event will focus on the challenges facing global port locations and present solutions relating to digitalisation, automation, sustainability, security, and logistics in the port environment.

The aim of the all about ports is to provide impetus for sustainable and resilient port structures, promote networking and the exchange of knowledge between national and international stakeholders, and facilitate technology transfer. At the core is the question of how ports can be made resilient, efficient, and future-proof in the digital age.
 

Hamburg: A model region for the future of the port industry

“Hamburg is the ideal location for the all about ports,” says Heiko M. Stutzinger, CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress. “We have one of Europe’s largest and most diverse ports in a city that exemplifies the connection between tradition and the future of the maritime and port industries. With its innovative strength, a strong network of research, business and policy players, and its leadership in smart port and digitalisation initiatives, Hamburg is predestined to host an event that helps shape the transformation of international port locations.”

The all about ports is an ideal addition to HMC’s international flagship maritime trade fairs, such as SMM, which will take place in Hamburg from 1 to 4 September 2026. The event targets port operators, terminal companies, shipping lines, logistics service providers, security authorities, and maritime start-ups as well as experts from politics and academia.

“We are once again expanding our platform for these target groups by bringing together technological innovation, sustainable transformation, and social responsibility,” adds Claus Ulrich Selbach, Vice President Exhibitions Maritime and Energy at Hamburg Messe und Congress. “Ports are key nodes in global value creation – and therefore essential for economic resilience and sustainable action worldwide.”

Strong partners and an extensive programme

Participants at the conference and accompanying exhibition can expect keynotes, panels, and workshops covering topics such as port security and the protection of critical infrastructure, sustainability and green energy in port operations, digital transformation and artificial intelligence, infrastructure development and Logistics 4.0, as well as smart bunkering and alternative fuels.

The all about ports is supported by leading players in the maritime industry, including Hamburg

Port Authority (HPA), the Maritime Cluster Northern Germany (MCN), the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS), and the International Association of Ports and Harbors Seite 2 (IAPH). In addition, a variety of side events in the Port of Hamburg are planned to take place alongside the conference.
 

“I am delighted to be the patron of all about ports. The event addresses precisely those issues that will determine the future of the global port industry: How to make ports more resilient, sustainable, and technologically advanced?” says Jens Meier, President of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) and CEO of the Hamburg Port Authority. "As international hubs, modern ports have long been more than just transshipment points—they are engines of innovation, energy centers, and indispensable infrastructure. all about ports offers the ideal platform to drive this transformation forward: it brings together bright minds from business, science, politics, and technology to exchange ideas about groundbreaking solutions and sharpen the focus on ports as strategic hubs of global value creation. And where better to do this than in Hamburg – with its strong port and innovation landscape."

“Ports are the backbone of the maritime economy – all about ports creates a platform for jointly developing this central interface in an innovative way,” says Jessica Wegener, Managing Director of Maritimes Cluster Norddeutschland e.V.

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