Shipping has contributed to the Baltic Sea Region’s prosperity since the Vikings. Today the region is home to some of the world’s leading shipping companies and maritime equipment manufacturers. Growth potential exists in other parts of the blue sector as well, from coastal tourism to off-shore energy. This conference marks the start of the elaboration of a dedicated EU Master…

On 16 January, the Green Technology and Alternative Fuels Platform for Shipping was launched at an event on board the LNG fuelled passenger ship Viking Grace. BDF was one of the co-organisers of the event. The new platform seeks to bring together policy makers, administrations, business community, financial experts; as well as research and development representatives to work on a…

On 8-9 August, City of Rostock and Baltic Sea Forum – together with among others the Finnish CBSS Presidency – organized a conference on maritime policy, chaired by the Lord Mayor of Rostock, Mr. Roland Methling. The maritime sector, government officials, Baltic Sea organisations etc. were represented. Among topics discussed were the challenges related to Clean Shipping, including how the…

“Tragic accidents, from the Titanic, to the Estonia or the Costa Concordia, put ship safety in the spotlight. There are always lessons to learn from such disasters. But we are not just waiting for the next accident to happen. It would be foolhardy merely to respond after the event. The EU has the toughest ship safety rules in the world…