Port Conference Comes to Hamburg
This year’s IAPH World Ports Conference will be held in Hamburg from June 1-5. International representatives from business, politics and science will gather in Hamburg to debate changing demands and alternative actions required in our times of globalization and climate change. The conference will focus on the smartPORT concept developed by the host of the conference, the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA). During the five-day conference delegates will get to hear about what Hamburg, Europe and the world mean by intelligent port management.
Precision Ship-Handling Writ Large
On the Elbe River, the famous port of Hamburg's Nautical Institute had its final intake this year due to a shortage of prospective students. From now on it will be known as the Hamburg Institute for Ship Handling and Simulation, but for many years it sent highly trained young people to sea. Some of those, after gaining years of deep sea experience, returned to Hamburg to become river and docking pilots. The Port has two pilot stations and two pilotage authorities. The Harbor Pilots (Hafenlotsenbrüüderschaft), of which there are about 45, work from a beautiful brick building complete with clock tower on a point at the entrance to the port on the south side of the river where most of the docks are located.