This year’s SMM, the international maritime trade fair to take place on 4-7 September with 2,289 exhibitors from 69 countries in Hamburg, will focus on “Trends in SMMart Shipping”, in line with the numerous digital solutions rising in the maritime sector: From network-integrated fleets and smart ship control to 3D printing and autonomous shipping, smart next-generation technologies will be showcased at exhibition stands along the Digital Route and discussed in the accompanying conferences.
Most companies involved in shipping, shipbuilding and related disciplines are busily investigating ways of using smart solutions to improve efficiency and sustainability, and optimise work processes. As a topic relevant to all parts of the value chain, digitalisation was chosen as the overarching theme for SMM 2018.
Apart from high-tech products enabling sensor-based remote monitoring of ship operations, satellite-supported platforms and control modules interlinking all ships of a fleet are high on the agenda, as well.
Unmanned shipping will be high on the agenda. According to the SMM Maritime Industry Report, more than one-third of market players believe it to be a realistic option for the future.
A shining example, the “MV Yara Birkeland” designed by the Norwegian technology company Kongsberg will soon be the world’s first autonomous, electrically-powered container ship. She is being built by the Norwegian Fincantieri subsidiary Vard and delivery is scheduled for early 2020. The vessel is to begin operating entirely without a crew in 2022, relying on GPS, radar, cameras and many sensors only, and replacing roughly 40,000 lorry trips per year.
In addition, for the world of industrial production, the “fourth industrial revolution” and the Internet of Things are key initiatives. Efficient and network-integrated process control allows manufacturers to meet customer needs faster, and deliver bespoke solutions with ease. Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is beginning to play a key role, opening up entirely new options for suppliers and manufacturers. In future, things like urgently-needed spare parts for a ship could be manufactured at the next port of call, or even directly on board. This would reduce the logistical effort while avoiding costly laydays.
On this context and for the first time ever, SMM will present a special exhibition on 3D printing, arranged jointly with the Northern German Maritime Cluster (MCN).
In addition to seeing various exhibitors specialising on additive manufacturing, visitors will be able to listen to intriguing lectures and watch live presentations, including those from member companies of the newly-established “Forum 3D Maritim”.
The SMM exhibitors specialise on specific aspects of the 3D printing process and will demonstrate the entire value chain of additive manufacturing, from the first sketch to the finished product. The process of 3D-printing blades for controllable pitch propellers can be watched directly at the fair.
The Maritime Future Summit conference will likewise explore how advanced technologies can create new opportunities for the industry. Held on 3 September, the day before SMM opens its doors, it will set the stage for the fair and its conferences. Science and industry experts will discuss what the maritime sector can do to prepare for the future, and which technologies will play an essential role.
Digitalisation, autonomous shipping, artificial intelligence, 3D printing: All these visionary concepts have already become part of industrial reality, as many exhibition stands at SMM will demonstrate in tangible ways.
