Success for the Shipping, Transport & Logistics B2B Networking Conference 2018 themed ‘Align for Growth’

Martin Vella MBR Publications Ltd, together with DHL (Malta) Ltd, welcomed more than 100 guests to the event at the Castello dei Baroni business and conference centre in Wardija last week.

Simon Debono, managing director of Simon Estates, who compered the event, said the conference delivered tangible benefits around skills and compliance to transport operators in Malta and was a minefield of topical information.

“The huge success of our inaugural Shipping, Transport & Logistics B2B Conference was underpinned by a number of quality guest speakers and attendees representing employers across a diverse range of businesses operating within the important transport and logistics sector in Malta and it is a pity that no one turned up from the Ministry of Infrastructure,” he said.

“The conference provided essential, credible and current advice for anyone operating a fleet of vehicles and delivered a solid platform for the delegates to ex- pand both its knowledge on current technological advances, particularly AI and robots, including other benefits to employers.”

Guest speaker David J. Dingli, Managing Consultant Resource Productivity Consulting Services, and professor at the Maastricht School of Management, The Netherlands, said skills gaps could be expected due to a declining working age population in Malta and pointed to measures which could be taken to address the situation. Dingli’s presentation, voted best of the event by the participants, was entitled ‘Artificial Intelligence and Supply Chain Management’.

Miriam Camilleri, chairperson of The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), Malta gave an overview of CILT and its services. Dr Geraldine Spiteri, from SAGA JURIS Advocates, and Asteria Management Ltd, gave a very good explanation on the Shipping, Transport, Logistics and Trade situation, challenges, legislation, barriers and advised what needs to be done to improve the sector. Motivational speaker Keith Fitzpatrick, from Corporate Coaching Malta, delivered an inspiring presentation themed ‘Motivation For Further Success: Taking You & Your Team From Good To Great!’

The agenda of the conference included a wide range of live issues. These included sustainable transport and changes in the environment, energy and transport, urban transport system and road transport links between cities and villages, investment in the transport sector and its financing, international cooperation in the transport sector and its legal foundations, development of multilateral transport corridors and infrastructure, traffic safety. It also focused on current technological advances as well as the future.

Interesting short videos were intentionally inter-dispersed during the conference and gave the audience exceptional value on ‘The World in 2050 – A scenario Future Study’ presented by Frank Appel, and ‘A vision of the future of European Logistics’ by Alliance for European Logistics. An AIMS University lecture entitled ‘What is Logistics Management? Definition & Importance in Supply Chain’ concluded the event.

The conference aimed to consolidate efforts to address the local and global issues in transit and transport sector considering the requirements of environmental safety and development of modern tools for implementation of sustainable development goals that meet the actual challenges and partnership requirements.

Delegates interacting in an open-floor debate maintained that the government lacks a longterm transport strategy. It should be based on the maximum use of geographical advantages, logistics possibilities and infrastructure to create large transportation hubs of regional and continental importance in the country that are designed to serve the development of close international economic integration and cooperation.

The organisers hope that wide and professional discussion of the role of transport in the context of modern regional and global development will contribute to better understanding of common objective interests, harmonization of positions, elaboration of innovative schemes and models of partner interaction. The Conference on Transport and Logistics in Malta will become an open platform for constructive exchange of views on the priority aspects of cooperation in the field of transport and communication infrastructure development. The 2018 programme topics featured technology, collaboration and leadership which are designed to stimulate new approaches and provide practical guidance.

The conference brought together the local leading minds in logistics, operations management and transport with expert speakers at the forefront of change and challenges in their sectors who shared their knowledge and experience with the delegates.