World Economic Forum, UN

March 21, 2018 - Key political and business leaders are converging at Nor-Shipping’s Opening Oceans Conference with a mission to highlight, discuss and enable new business opportunities for the maritime and ocean industries. The event, launching this year in Copenhagen on 2 and 3 May, revealed that Dominic Kailash Nath Waughray, the World Economic Forum’s Head of Public-Private Partnership, and Stefaan Depypere, Director for International Ocean Governance, European Union, are the latest additions to a high-profile speaker line-up focused on responsible, healthy and sustainable commercial growth in the ocean space.

They join the likes of Peter Thomson, UN Special Envoy for the Oceans, Daniella Fernandez, Sustainable Ocean Alliance CEO, and Esben Lunde Larsen, Denmark’s Minister of the Environment and Food.
“Opening Oceans Conference (OOC) has been conceived with a clear mission,” states Nor-Shipping’s Sofia Furstenberg Stott, Strategic Lead OOC.

“It aims to take advantage of the huge business potential associated with the development of ocean activities, connecting maritime players with partners who will benefit from their assets, infrastructure and unique expertise. The idea is to create a platform that facilitates growth and emphasizes commercial solutions to environmental and societal needs and challenges. As such, these latest names are key pieces of the development puzzle.”

 She explains: “We already have high-level commercial and public/organisational players involved, with the likes of OECD’s Claire Jolly, Sturla Henriksen of UN Global Compact, Bjørn Otto Sverdrup from Statoil, and Maersk’s Claus V. Hemmingsen, to name a few. The addition of figures such as Dominic, the man driving WEF’s efforts to facilitate private and public sector collaboration, and Peter and Esben, who are committed to responsible development that benefits both the environment and society, including businesses, gives us a full picture understanding of the challenges and solutions industry faces.” 

Timed to coincide with Danish Maritime Days, and supported by both the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association and Danish Shipping, OOC will focus on the four themes of logistics, data value, food, and energy and minerals, amongst other key business issues. C-level delegates from Europe and beyond will experience presentations, panel discussions and collaborative working spaces, all of which are tailored to deliver the tools and potential partners needed to equip businesses for the way ahead.