Istanbul Maritime Forum 2025. Global shipping enters a new era

For two days, Istanbul became the beating heart of the global maritime industry. During the Istanbul Maritime Forum 2025, held at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa in Tuzla, industry leaders, shipowners, technology innovators, and policymakers gathered to discuss the future of global shipping—with a strong focus on innovation, sustainability, and digital transformation.

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09 october 2025 | 22:39 | Source: Gazeta Morska | Prepared by: Kamil Kusier | Print

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Hosted by Jon Stewart, President of International Maritime Technology Consultants, Inc., the forum brought together representatives of major ship registries, shipyards, classification societies, technology providers, and maritime organizations. The agenda covered a full spectrum of current industry challenges—from decarbonisation and fuel transition to crew welfare and the rise of AI-driven fleet operations.

Turkey’s strategic position in maritime geopolitics

In the opening session, Hakan Karaca, CEO of Ditaş Tankers / Ditaş Denizcilik, highlighted Turkey’s evolving strategic role in global oil and LNG transportation. He emphasized that the country is increasingly shaping regional trade dynamics across the Black Sea, Mediterranean, and further towards Asia and the Middle East.

Decarbonisation and next-generation technologies

One of the central highlights of the forum was the panel “Charting green horizons: The future of maritime decarbonisation”, moderated by Jon Stewart. Panelists included Serra Tukel (Arkas Line), Can Atılgan (Ditaş Tankers), Alican Kılınç (Value Maritime), Ivaylo Kasov (STARGATE Maritime) and Hasan Yaman Yalcin (Eastern Pacific Shipping).

The discussion focused on practical pathways to achieving IMO emission targets, the adoption of carbon reduction technologies, and the investment timelines required for green transformation.

Thomas Klenum, Executive Vice President of Innovation & Regulatory Affairs at LISCR – The Liberian Registry, took the stage to present the registry’s roadmap toward sustainability—underlining that innovation must go hand in hand with regulatory stability and industry-wide standards.

Energy transition, efficiency and digital shift

The forum continued with the panel “Fueling the shift: What’s next for energy in global and regional shipping?”, moderated by Ugurcan Acar of Maritime Innovators. Representatives from Arkas Bunker, PascoGas Shipping, VALMARE Energy Trading and MEDKON Group explored future fuel options, energy security and how regulatory pressure is reshaping investment strategies across the sector.

A standout presentation from Lewis Baldwin (RLT Marine) demonstrated how advanced LED solutions can significantly improve onboard energy efficiency and contribute directly to decarbonisation targets.

Turkish shipping on the global stage

The session “Turkish shipping on the global stage” drew strong attention from international delegates. With speakers including Sedat Pekdemir (Dragut Shipping), Rene Gomez (Panama Maritime Chamber) and İsmail Terzi (Suvari Shipping), the panel examined Turkey’s growing influence in global shipping lanes, its expanding fleet profile, and competitive positioning in international trade.

Digitalisation and people-centric maritime transformation

Digital transformation emerged as a key horizontal theme throughout the forum. Experts from Pole Star Global, Tototheo Global, Marlow Navigation and Columbia Shipmanagement discussed how AI, big data analytics and automation are changing operational models, risk management and regulatory compliance across fleets.

In one of the forum’s most impactful moments, Alan C. from the International Seafarers’ Welfare & Assistance Network (ISWAN) addressed crew welfare and mental health, reminding the industry that no sustainable maritime future is possible without placing people at the centre of change.

Shipbuilding innovation and the next generation of maritime leaders

A dedicated panel on the evolution of Turkey’s shipbuilding industry, chaired by Dr. Tolga Ayci of Istanbul Technical University, brought together leading representatives from Yalova Shipyard, Delta Marine, EVIGO | OSM Thome and LISCR. Discussions covered Turkey’s expanding role in global shipbuilding supply chains and the technological modernization of production processes.

An inspiring address by Melike Aysu Gurgan, Vice President of WISTA International (Turkey), called for greater investment in youth development, gender inclusion and mentorship programs to support the emergence of a new generation of maritime leaders.

The future of shipping is being defined now

As Istanbul Maritime Forum 2025 came to a close, one message resonated clearly: the future of global shipping will be driven by collaboration, innovation and a bold approach to change.

The forum reaffirmed Istanbul’s growing role as a strategic meeting point for the global maritime community—bridging Europe, Asia and the Middle East not only geographically, but through vision and industry dialogue.

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Kamil Kusier
redaktor naczelny

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