The Port of Gdansk at the International Baltexpo Maritime Fair

08.09.2015

The eighteenth International Baltexpo Maritime Fair has just taken place in Gdansk - Poland's largest maritime industry event which, like every year, brought together not only the representatives of companies involved in one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the country, but also representatives of government bodies, local governments and industry organisations.

The Port of Gdansk Authority SA had its own stand at the fair, which afforded the opportunity to welcome a number of important personalities on the first day, including the Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development - Ms Dorota Pyc along with Ms Monika Niemiec-Butryn - Deputy Director of the Department of Maritime Transportation and Navigation Safety in the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development.

As every year, the event was divided into several thematic areas such as: the Infrastructure of Ports and the Maritime Industry, Transport and Maritime Logistics, Shipping, Security and Protection of Ports and Shipping, as well as the Shipbuilding Industry and Offshore.

The three-day event was also accompanied by a number of conference sessions. On the first day of Baltexpo, a conference was opened on Maritime Transport and the Development of Seaports, where various issues were discussed concerning the role of maritime transport in supporting Polish foreign trade and its importance for the Polish economy.

During the second half of the day, industry experts discussed the state of point and linear infrastructure and how it has been designed to service Polish imports. This topic featured speakers from the three Polish ports, including Ms Dorota Raben - CEO of the Port of Gdansk Authority SA - who, together with Professor Andrzej Grzelakowski (the moderator during the session) - made an attempt to identify and prioritise the current needs and future expectations of exporters and importers, shippers, supply chain operators, as well as carriers, port operators and managers of port infrastructure in relation to the infrastructure required for the efficient cargo handling of Polish foreign trade.

This 90-minute session also served to identify opportunities for the development of foreign sea trade via Polish seaports. The panelists discussed the facilities currently available which have helped to increase the competitiveness of Polish ports on the European market, and then went on to raise the issue of other regulations and the necessity for further improvements that may in the future help to reduce both transportation and logistics costs connected with the transshipment of cargo via Polish ports.