Peace on the world’s oceans is over in the meanwhile. This was the unanimous consensus amongst audio system on the Albert Ballin Discussion board hosted by Hapag-Lloyd in Hamburg. Round 100 company from the delivery trade and academia gathered at Kühne Logistics College (KLU) on Might 12 and 13, 2026, to debate how service provider delivery can reply to huge threats from wars, hybrid assaults, and geopolitical tensions.
Germany wants extra sea energy and maritime resilience
Hybrid assaults within the Baltic Sea – combining army strikes with cyberattacks and sabotage – and army confrontations within the Strait of Hormuz: Maritime safety is at present beneath menace to an extent not seen for the reason that final world conflict. What do options for safety on the world’s oceans appear like? This query is changing into more and more pressing for important provide chains: 60 p.c of German imports and exports at present journey by ship, as do 90 p.c of world commerce and 80 p.c of Europe’s power provide.
“The dialogue on the usage of the seas is urgently wanted and should be multi-perspective. It requires change between historic, authorized, political, and moral viewpoints, amongst others,” says Nils Haupt, Senior Director Group Communications at Hapag-Lloyd. “Particularly in instances of disaster that demand well-considered selections, our long-standing collaboration with a enterprise college like Kühne Logistics College and its provide chain experience proves significantly helpful.”
Panelists discussing the safety of service provider vessels and delivery routes agreed: Germany can now not stay blind to maritime affairs. Moritz Brake, Managing Director of consulting agency Nexmaris, Senior Fellow on the Heart for Superior Safety, Strategic and Integration Research (CASSIS), and reserve officer within the German Navy, known as for clear penalties for Germany: Safety at sea should be understood as a nationwide curiosity, and maritime resilience and protection capabilities should be strengthened. “Those that don’t possess sea energy themselves are on the mercy of different nations.”
Warning towards rhetorical militarization of service provider delivery
For Irina Haesler, member of the manager board of the German Shipowners’ Affiliation (VDR), safety can also be a central concern. Nonetheless, she advocates towards falling into conflict rhetoric: “We simply wish to transport items from A to B and thus make sure the world’s prosperity–but delivery is being drawn into conflict and used as a pawn.” Brief-term preparation for this isn’t potential; reasonably, it’s about higher implementing the maritime spirit domestically. On the EU degree, impartial, sensible options should be developed. The Worldwide Maritime Group (IMO) of the UN may play a central position within the coordinated decision of the naval blockade within the Persian Gulf.
Persian Gulf: Seafarers’ belief as the best precedence
Silke Lehmköster, Managing Director Fleet at Hapag-Lloyd and answerable for seafarers, reported on what it means for crews ashore, however particularly for these aboard vessels within the Persian Gulf, to be uncovered each day to the dynamic rigidity between army presence and fragile data conditions. The detained ships within the Center East are operated with minimal crew, and each day communication with crews is open and clear. The disaster supervisor emphasizes: “Safety should not be compromised; the belief of seafarers is our highest precedence.” Consequently, Hapag-Lloyd repeatedly conducts danger assessments and now not calls at disaster areas–the scenario within the Strait of Hormuz got here too abruptly for that.
Prof. Dr. Gordon Wilmsmeier, Director of the Hapag-Lloyd Heart for Delivery and World Logistics (CSGL) and knowledgeable in maritime logistics at KLU and Universidad de los Andes, Colombia, summarizes on maritime safety:
“We’re browsing on a wave that’s too excessive–nobody is aware of when it is going to break. Particular person pursuits dominate the actions of political and financial actors. Who should and may take accountability for maritime safety as we speak? We should confront this query. It’s already tough sufficient to ensure safety on land–at sea, with out cameras, public scrutiny, and witnesses, it’s nearly unimaginable.”
Award for World Motion goes to Colombia
Hapag-Lloyd hosted the two-day symposium ‘Struggle and Peace at Sea’ as a part of the third Albert Ballin Discussion board Hamburg, in cooperation with the German Port Museum, KLU, the Museum of Hamburg Historical past, Sigmund Freud Non-public College Vienna, and the German Shipowners’ Affiliation (VDR).
At a ceremonial night occasion, the ‘Albert Ballin Award for World Motion’ was additionally offered. The winner of the €50,000 prize is Pedro Salazar, founder and director of the Colombian basis Fundación Amigos del Mar. This yr’s ‘Albert Ballin Development Awards for Globalization Analysis,’ every endowed with €5,000, had been awarded to Dr. Clara Baumann, Dr. Marlene Gärtner, and Dr. des. Bertille James.
