IAPH was out in force for the British Ports Association (BPA) Conference 2026, hosted by the Port of Dover, 20-22 October. On 21 October, managing director Patrick Verhoeven was interviewed by BPA chief executive Richard Ballantyne about the ‘Global Outlook for Ports’. They discussed the current risk landscape for ports, financing of port infrastructure, organisation of port labour and automation, the review of the ISPS Code, and the prospects for the IMO Net Zero Framework. On 22 October, IAPH senior manager: Data Collaboration, Risk & Resilience Chloe Rowland spoke at the panel called ‘Managing Cyber Security and Technology Risks’. The panel was chaired by Mark Simmonds, BPA’s director of policy & external affairs, alongside Colin Lavelle (Hill Dickinson) and Tom Dryden (McGill & Partners). The group discussed the growing cyber and technology risks facing ports, focusing on practical steps operators can take to improve resilience, while recognising that digitalisation and new technologies also present significant opportunities. The following panel featured IMO liaison officer and IAPH/BPA senior advisor sustainability Rhona Macdonald discussing what carbon pricing will mean for ports, alongside Ricardo Batista (IMO), Keith Johnstone (Lloyd’s Register), Katrina Ross (UK Chamber of Shipping), Meg Turner (Port of Dover) and Jonathan Campbell (P&O Ferries). The group discussed the implications of the EU ETS and what can be expected at the forthcoming IMO meetings on the Net Zero Framework.
