Headline Conference
The Shipping Edition
Leading shipowners, financiers, policymakers and maritime innovators will come together at the Oslo Ocean Days Headline Conference – Shipping Edition for a full day of high-level discussion on the forces reshaping the global shipping industry.
Across keynote interviews, leadership conversations and dynamic panel debates, the agenda will tackle the critical issues defining shipping’s next decade. Discussions will examine how shipowners are making long-term fleet and fuel decisions amid uncertainty over alternative fuels and evolving technologies, and how new regulatory frameworks from the EU and IMO are reshaping operational and investment strategies.
Industry leaders will also share perspectives on the financial outlook for shipping, from capital allocation and fleet renewal to how today’s strong earnings cycles can be leveraged for long-term resilience.
The conference will explore the wider geopolitical and economic forces influencing global trade and shipping markets, alongside the rapid pace of innovation across ship design, digitalisation and efficiency.
With Norway playing a pivotal role in maritime technology, energy transition and sustainable shipping, Oslo provides a natural setting for this forward-looking conversation. Bringing together senior decision-makers from across the global maritime ecosystem, the conference will offer a platform for insight, debate and collaboration on the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Plan Your Journey to Gamle Logen
Due to the funeral of His Majesty King Harald V, access to central Oslo will be restricted on Wednesday 9 September. Gamle Logen remains accessible on foot, but the surrounding area will be closed to vehicle traffic and public transport from 06:00–21:00.
For attendees arriving via Oslo Central Station, we recommend approaching Gamle Logen via Jernbanetorget and using the designated entry point near Jernbanetorget/Dronningens gate. From there, please follow police instructions and signage towards Gamle Logen.
We strongly recommend that you:
– Allow significantly more time than usual for your journey to Gamle Logen.
– Use public transport to reach central Oslo, but be aware that routes and stops may be changed or closed.
– Be prepared to walk the final part of your journey to the venue.
– Check the official map before travelling and familiarise yourself with the restricted areas and designated entry points.
– Please note that umbrellas are not permitted within the security zone.
Follow instructions from the police and other authorities on the day. Please note that restrictions and access arrangements may change at short notice.
Address Gamle Logen:
Grev Wedels Plass 2, 0151 Oslo
Watch this space for more information about the programme and tickets.
Programme
Navigating a New World Order: Risk. Resilience. Reinvention.
08:30-09:30 Registration and Coffee
09:30-10:00 The Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony will mark the symbolic launch of Oslo Ocean Days and will bring together prominent industry leaders, senior government officials, ministry representatives, and event speakers.
– Welcome Address from Nor-Shipping and TradeWinds
10:00-11:00 Plenary Panel: Energy security after the Hormuz crisis
– How has the outlook changed after the world’s greatest oil and gas supply shock?
– What are the effects on trade and maritime decarbonisation agenda?
– How can shipping build long-term resilience?
10:00-11:30 Coffee Break
Session One: Risk and resilience: When geopolitics becomes a core commercial risk
11:30-11:45 Presentation
11:45-12:30 Panel Discussion: Why flexibility not efficiency is the new key to managing risk
– Is geopolitical disruption now a structural risk rather than a periodic one? Will it remain the primary price driver?
– Is an imbalance in the enforcement and application of maritime regulations serving to exacerbate the risk they’re supposed to reduce?
– How are predictive models and strategies changing?
12:30-13:30 Lunch Break
Session Two: The path ahead: Innovation - the key to success
13:30-13:45 Keynote interview
13:45-14:30 Panel Discussion: Who wins the race to become Europe’s leading maritime tech hub?
– Which new innovations are helping to put Norway on the map, and why?
– Are there sufficient support frameworks in place from the Norwegian authorities?
– Where is the biggest competition coming from? Is intra-European competition a driver or barrier to innovation?
14:30-14:45 Presentation: Case Study
14:45-15:30 Coffee Break
Session Three: Money and Markets: What change will success bring?
15:30-16:00 Panel Discussion: Cash rich, debt light: How will the new shape of shipping shape finance?
– Can Oslo aspire to be more than a client city for New York?
– What are the biggest challenges to widening and deepening the investor base?
– Is there enough long-term ambition to make Oslo more attractive to international players?
– What is the landscape for equity, bonds and debt?
16:00-16:15 Keynote Interview
16:15-17:00 Shipowners Panel: Lockin in growth – how do you build from a position of strength?
– How are owners assessing where earnings are best directed?
– To what extent is the growth of alternative finance models provoking a power shift between asset owners and traditional banks?
– Is the current market landscape provoking a shift in business models?
17:00-18:30 Drinks reception and networking