V.Group attends CMA Shipping 2022

In March, V.Group participated at CMA Shipping 2022, one of the maritime industry’s flagship events.

Held in Stamford, Connecticut, USA, the conference brings together many of the industry’s leading organisations, including ship owners, regulatory bodies, ship managers and marine services providers, as well as other industry figures.

On the opening day, Stephen Macfarlane, V.Group’s CIO, gave a keynote address on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and expert systems and how we can utilise them across the maritime industry, while referencing our digital platform ShipSure Sentinel. “If you build your systems correctly it can help you manage that complex environment.” Stephen also noted that “a future evolution is that we’re now using this model to fix things. AI will offer solutions, and we will see the benefit of those solutions.”

In the evening, V.Group sponsored the Speakers Dinner and it was a pleasure to entertain over 120 guests in total, including a number of V.Group customers and contacts. Allan Falkenberg, Chief Operating Officer, used his welcome speech to highlight the challenges facing seafarers as a result of Covid-19 and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

Matt Dunlop, Director for Sustainability and Decarbonisation, kicked off day two of the conference by participating in a panel discussion on the journey to zero carbon. The panellists looked at the order book challenge when ordering future-proofed vessels, the longevity of retrofit options, the regulatory landscape, renewable energy and areas of collaboration necessary to accelerate the pace of change. Matt noted: “We know the green transition is costly and uncertain. We need to come together as an industry and be transparent about what we’re doing.”

In the afternoon, Stephen returned to participate in a panel on technology and its role in the human element of shipping. Stephen talked about the way that V.Group, through the Sentinel platform, is using AI to provide answers by optimising information: “AI learns similar to the human brain, but it handles a lot more data and that’s something that should be seen as helping an organisation.”

The final day of CMA Shipping culminated with the Commodore Gala Dinner, capping a productive three days for V.Group. “We’re pleased at how many customers and contacts we have been able to connect with face-to-face, some for the first time in over two years as a result of the pandemic,” said James Muir, Chief Commercial Officer. “We’re looking forward to returning to CMA Shipping in 2023 as it is one of the highlights in the maritime calendar.”