The first keynote speaker for the 2026 IAPH World Ports Conference has been announced: Tim Marshall is a former Sky News foreign editor and the author of Prisoners of Geography. In this acclaimed best-seller, he argues that decision-makers need to put the ‘geo’ back into ‘geopolitics’ to understand global change and the actions of nation states. Tim’s work dovetails with the theme of #IAPH2026, which will explore how port leaders can find a competitive advantage in a world increasingly defined by superpower rivalry – in which historic international accords are crumbling, trade is threatened by multi-domain security risks, and critical infrastructure investments are being outpaced by the escalating cost of climate change. Drawing upon more than 30 years of international reporting, Tim will offer an illuminating viewpoint at the conference, as a gathering of port and maritime professionals confront the challenge of ‘port leadership for a brave new world.’
