IAPH made a triumphant return to its birthplace in May 2013: the 28th edition of its biannual ports conference was held in Los Angeles. This was the scene of the association’s founding, and of the second International Ports and Harbor conference in 1955. Nearly six decades later, a different set of topics dominated the global maritime agenda. This was the era of shipping alliances – as operators sought partnerships to combat rising fuel costs and excess capacity – and of integrated port operating companies expanding into terminal operations. Mega ships were proliferating, the automation of port equipment was on the increase, the IMO continued to strengthen environment regulations, and ports and vessels moved to accommodate the increased use of LNG as a fuel. Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) also introduced the smartPORT concept, showcasing intelligent port management that balanced business needs with environmental protection. This concept formed the theme for the 2015 conference, which HPA hosted (for the second time), in June. At the conference, a familiar face, Santiago Garcia-Milà (deputy executive director, Port of Barcelona) succeeded Geraldine Knatz, the Port of LA’s executive director, as IAPH president. Crucially, a redrafted constitution was presented for approval, covering the composition of the IAPH council, election processes and the categorisation of IAPH’s regions. Meanwhile, the equally critical topic of climate change remained on the agenda in Hamburg, and later that year in Paris where, at COP21, the association presented a 2020 action plan – ‘Navigating a Changing Climate’ – created with the global waterborne transport association PIANC. IAPH also presented data from the first five years of operation of the Environmental Ship Index (ESI) – while planning for the future, it was already getting results.
Delegates and media representatives take in a port tour during the 2015 IAPH conference in Hamburg
