The 47th edition of the longest running technical conference in the maritime sector will be held 8-10 December at the prestigious Empire Riverside Hotel in Hamburg, once again offering a highly valued annual opportunity to benefit from the shared knowledge and expertise of senior industry executives.
Lars Robert Pedersen, Deputy Secretary General of BIMCO, is returning as a Chairman of the conference, a role he has held for the past six years.
As Deputy Secretary General he is responsible for BIMCO’s technical and operational activities within the area of marine, environment, ship safety and maritime security. Lars Robert is also responsible for BIMCO’s activity related to regulatory developments relevant to shipping at international, regional and national levels. In the past decade he has served on International Maritime Organization (IMO) expert groups and on the steering group for the IMO 2020 fuel oil availability study.
He joined BIMCO in early 2010 after a long career at A.P. Moller-Maersk where he was involved in regulatory affairs at IMO level, technical management of the Maersk fleet of container ships and prior to that as a seagoing engineer officer.
Also joining the conference as a Chairman is Dr. Markus Munz, Managing Director VDMA Large Engines. He holds a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical and Process Engineering as well as a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering.
He started his professional career at Isuzu Motors Germany where he looked at engine application, drivability, problem solving and alternative fuels. In 2022 he joined VDMA as a project manager engines and systems with special emphasis on Power-to-X.
In a Moderator role at the conference is Philipp Simmank, Technical Advisor for Climate, Marine Research & Digitalization at the German Shipowners’ Association (VDR).
There he coordinates and represents the interests of the VDR and its members on the key topics of climate protection, research, development and funding of relevant ship- and propulsion-technologies, alternative fuels, and digitalization towards national and international institutions including federal and state authorities, international shipowners’ associations and the IMO.
Having worked for over a decade in the Two-stroke Marine Engine Research and Development Division of MAN ES SE in Copenhagen, Denmark, Philipp was also an advisor in the Danish Delegation at the IMO.
A second Moderator is Gavin Allwright, secretary of the International Windship Association (IWSA), a grouping of wind propulsion companies and projects which promotes and facilitates the uptake of wind propulsion solutions in commercial shipping. He has also been working closely with the Oceania Centre for Sustainable Transport, and was Commercial Director for the Greenheart Project, a not-for-profit organisation designing a zero-emissions, sail/solar electric cargo vessel for developing regions.
The 2026 Propulsion & Future Fuels conference was rescheduled a week later than originally planned to avoid any overlap with the IMO MEPC meetings, and to allow delegates to receive insights into the latest guidelines and outcomes from MEPC85 and engage in meaningful discussions on shipping’s future regulatory and technical landscape
An Early Bird Discount of 20% is now available for those looking to join the conference. To secure your place click here - Buy | Propulsion & Future Fuels Conference
