Monday was buzzing at Hamburg Messe as a stream of trucks delivered stand infrastructure, exhibitor reps put on the finishing touches, audio-visual teams untangled reams of cables and cleaners made ready for kick-off.
This morning Hamburg woke up to blue skies with not a cloud in sight -- a good omen for the first day of the world´s leading maritime technology show despite the lacklustre state of the mainstream shipping markets.
With over 2,000 exhibitors and some 50,000 trade visitors expected, sturdy shoes are a must to walk the length of the entire fair complex covering some 90,000 square metres.
There is a bewildering array of wares and services on offer, with a visitor poll stating the primary purpose of attending the show is to learn about the latest innovations and new technology, and to get an overview of progress in the industry.
This time SMM sees a focus on digitalisation and the environment as the impact of disruptive technologies, the ongoing "greening" of shipping, the regulatory framework and how to optimise vessel performance occupies the minds of owners, operators and managers the world over.
As the dry bulk and liner markets continue in the doldrums, now with tankers also showing signs of stress and shipbuilding at a low ebb, and with China no longer driving the global economic engine with unprecedented growth, the main priority of the maritime technology community is maintaining sales.
Will healthy niche markets such as cruise and ferries, wind-farm vessels, naval and other specialist ships take up the slack?
But despite the structural concerns and the "known unknowns and unknown unknowns" facing the industry in the uncharted wired era, as one Maritime Future conference speaker put it, "we're absolutely living in exciting times in shipping".
That excitement and hunger for knowledge is certainly palpable in the halls here in Hamburg.
