Thoughts on shipping, sustainable oceans, and my trip to Posidonia

Thoughts on shipping, sustainable oceans, and my trip to Posidonia

By Jason E. Kelly

Every two years Greece hosts the Posidonia shipping conference, considered by many to be one of the most pioneering and impactful maritime events in the world. In early June, I was fortunate to attend this year’s event (my first time), which hosted over 22,000 participants and 2,000 exhibitors from 92 countries, making this one of the largest international shipping exhibition in history.

The ocean is never far from my thoughts: our family business is Moran Shipping Agencies, Inc., a global leader in maritime transportation logistics, ship agency, international safety and environmental regulatory compliance, and the digitization of port call management. Most recently, our company has diversified into new Bluetech areas including maritime cyber security, ballast water testing, and offshore wind logistics services.

Through my experience in shipping, I have come to understand uniquely the importance of healthy sustainable oceans, and in particular, the vital role shipping plays in this mission. Scientists and industry leaders have taught me that good data is our starting point and that only through investment in innovation driven by all stakeholders (particularly industry) will we successfully achieve the goal of sustainable oceans. This ideal led me to co-found SeaAhead Inc. earlier this year, where a key part of our mission is to foster innovative solutions to the environmental challenges impacting marine transport.