An international conference in Gdansk

06.01.2005

On 21 - 22 June 2005, Gdansk will be playing host to an international conference Autologistics Central Europe 2005. This is a first conference of the kind devoted to the world automotive industry, organized in Poland on such a large scale and boasting such a high rank. The Artus Court, the most prominent historical venue in Gdansk, will accommodate a gathering of some 200 high profile representatives of the world major motor vehicle manufacturers (approx. 25% of participants), their suppliers (approx. 20% of participants), as well as representatives of leading logistics companies worldwide (55% of participants).

This is the sixth in a series of Autologistics conferences. The previous editions were held in Chicago, Detroit, Shanghai and Montreaux, and presently - for the first time - in this part of Europe.

As claimed by the promoters of Autologistics, calling a conference in Central Europe came in the wake of a tremendous interest developed in this region among car manufacturers, their suppliers and logistics firms. The management of this trade regards the region of Central and Eastern Europe as a highly challenging place that opens up a wealth of opportunities - say the representatives of Automotive Logistics Magazine, the promoter of Autologistics Central Europe. At the same time, they add that Poland is recognized as a country with a large number of motor companies operating there, and boding well for a dynamic expansion of their businesses. Choosing a particular city, where to organize our conferences is always determined by a superb location and a chance to offer something attractive from the point of view of the interests of our industry. Gdansk lives up to these conditions splendidly: a thousand years long history of this city on the one hand, and, on the other, the Gdansk port that could provide services to the entire central and eastern region in terms of the automotive industry.

The conference Autologistics Central Europe 2005 is promoted by Automotive Logistics Magazine, part of the UltimaMedia company, a specialist media group in the automotive industry. The group is a publisher of 10 different publications and organizes 11 conferences covering goods supplies, designing, manufacturing and logistics - the entire scope related to the motor industry. The publishing of Automotive Logistics Magazine brought about well-established relations with a wide range of sectors within the automotive trade, thus the initiative to expand them by means of arranging the Autologistics conference.

The Autologistics conferences boast a reputation of logistics-focused events of the highest profile in the world of logistics. The agenda of Autologistics Central Europe 2005 provides for such areas of interest as logistics in terms of ready-made vehicles, transportation, spare parts for servicing, logistical strategy, as well as venture planning in the region of Central and Eastern Europe.

The major sponsors of Autologistics Central Europe 2005 include the Port of Gdansk Authority SA and the City of Gdansk.

- The Port of Gdansk takes vital interest in this conference - says Andrzej Kasprzak, President of the Board of the Port of Gdansk Authority SA. In line with the objectives of the series of events held hitherto, this conference boasts an international dimension and accentuates global aspects of the addressed issues, still, always taking account of certain local determinants. In this particular case, the latter undoubtedly entails the Port of Gdansk with its tremendous capacity to impart dynamism to its operation in providing services to the automotive industry. At the present time, there is a dozen or so thousand of various car makes handled annually in the Port Free Zone of the Port of Gdansk. They comprise such concerns as Skoda, Nissan, Mazda, Land Rover, Opel and Suzuki. The vehicles are not only discharged from the ships, but also kept, entailing no damage, in the storage yards, subject to pre-delivery inspection and geared for further transportation.

A currently maintained level of services is merely a signal of the capacity of the Port of Gdansk. The approaching commencement of construction work on the largest in Poland deepwater container terminal with a targeted throughput of 1 million TEU opens up new opportunities, also when it comes to the handling of cars. A deepwater ro-ro berth will facilitate the accommodation of large-sized car carriers. The vast land adjacent to the terminal complies with the conditions pertaining to the extension of storage yards, whilst the projected development of a sizable logistics and distribution centre remains conducive to the expansion of a wide range of sectors related to the handling of cars. An increasingly widespread interest from the motor industry, which has been observed in Poland and its neighbouring countries appears to indicate ample opportunities that exist in the potential of the Port of Gdansk. It is feasible in our opinion, that the example a car handling terminal operating in Bremerhaven or Goeteborg be implemented in the Port of Gdansk. I believe that the conference of Autologistics Central Europe 2005 will not only substantiate these predictions, but will also contribute to their practical implementation.