Dr Stopford is currently non-executive President of Clarkson Research Services Limited (CRSL) and Director of MarEcon Ltd. He is visiting Professor at Cass Business School, Dalian Maritime University and Newcastle University and has an Honorary Doctorate from Solent University. His publications include “Maritime Economics” 3rd Ed, the widely-used shipping textbook (2009), now translated into Japanese, Greek, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean and Turkish. Also, many papers on shipping economics and ship finance.

Awards: Lloyds List Lifetime Achievement Award 2010; Seatrade Global Shipping Personality of the Year 2013; Onassis Prize for Shipping 2015; Capital Link Shipping Leadership Award 2016.

Jan joined UNCTAD in 2003 and became Chief of the organization’s Trade Logistics Branch in 2016. The Branch is implementing multilateral transport and trade facilitation capacity building programmes, as well as regional and national projects in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. span>

Mr Li Jan is co-author and coordinator of the annual UNCTAD Review of Maritime Transport, created and co-edits the quarterly UNCTAD Transport and Trade Facilitation Newsletter, and initiated the UNCTAD Maritime Country Profiles and the annual Liner Shipping Connectivity Index.

Previously, Jan spent six years with the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago de Chile, and two years with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London and Santiago. Prior to this, he held part time positions as assistant professor, import-export agent, seafarer, translator, and consultant. For eight years, he also worked part time for the family tramp shipping business Hoffmann Shipping, based in Horneburg, Germany, with a tweendecker registered in St. Johns, Antigua and Barbuda. .

Jan has studied in Germany, United Kingdom, and Spain, and holds a doctorate degree in Economics from the University of Hamburg. His work has resulted in numerous UN and peer reviewed publications, lectures, technical missions, data bases, and electronic newsletters. Jan is member of AJSL, CPI, IJSTL, INCU, JST, MEL, MPM, and the Propeller Club of Geneva. From 2014 to 2018, Jan was president of the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME). Jan has had his hair cut in 71 countries. He has three sons and one wife.

Dr Stopford is currently non-executive President of Clarkson Research Services Limited (CRSL) and Director of MarEcon Ltd. He is visiting Professor at Cass Business School, Dalian Maritime University and Newcastle University and has an Honorary Doctorate from Solent University. His publications include “Maritime Economics” 3rd Ed, the widely-used shipping textbook (2009), now translated into Japanese, Greek, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean and Turkish. Also, many papers on shipping economics and ship finance.

Awards: Lloyds List Lifetime Achievement Award 2010; Seatrade Global Shipping Personality of the Year 2013; Onassis Prize for Shipping 2015; Capital Link Shipping Leadership Award 2016.

Mr Li Yanqing graduated from the Department of Ocean and Marine Engineering, Tianjin University, and obtained his Master’s Degree in Management in the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University. He successively served as the deputy director of the Economic Research Center under China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, director of China Shipbuilding information center, and International Department director of China State Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. At present, he is chairman of ISO/TC8，and Secretary General of China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry.

Mr Li Yanqing has long represented China to take the post in the Technical Committee on Ships and Marine Technology，Organization for International Standardization (ISO/TC8). He was the Secretary General of ISO/TC8 (2007-2010), vice chairman of ISO/TC8 and member of CSAG (2010-2015). He was awarded "ISO/TC8 Special Contribution Award" due to his creative work in maritime and shipbuilding standardization. He became the executive chairman of ISO/TC8/SC3 during the period of 2014-2016. Then he has served as chairman of ISO/TC8, and convener of WG10 Smart Shipping Since 2016.

As chairman of ISO/TC8, he led the team to make pioneering achievements in stipulating the rules of the international shipbuilding and ocean industries, and was awarded the "Lawrence Archer Leadership Award" by ISO who is the first Chinese chairman winning the honor.

Mr Christian Møller is Chief Technology Officer in Kongsberg Digital. In this role, Møller plays a central part in the development the company’s existing products and also the new ventures such as Vessel Insight platform and Kognitwin Digital Twin.

Mr Møller previously worked in research for Microsoft HQ. He holds a PhD in 3D technology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Cambridge.

Mr Ronald Spithout is responsible for Inmarsat’s maritime business and its global commercial strategy and execution in merchant marine, offshore energy, fishing, passengers and leisure markets. Based on a strategy of customer intimacy and channel engagement the Maritime Business Unit is effectively driving themes of ‘Digitalisation at Sea’ and ‘the Connected Vessel’ to deliver long-term sustainable growth for Inmarsat in the sector.

Previous roles include:
Inmarsat, President Enterprise Business (2012 – 2014);
StratosGlobal, Senior Vice President Global Marketing and Sales (2006 – 2011)

Dr Stopford is currently non-executive President of Clarkson Research Services Limited (CRSL) and Director of MarEcon Ltd. He is visiting Professor at Cass Business School, Dalian Maritime University and Newcastle University and has an Honorary Doctorate from Solent University. His publications include “Maritime Economics” 3rd Ed, the widely-used shipping textbook (2009), now translated into Japanese, Greek, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean and Turkish. Also, many papers on shipping economics and ship finance.

Awards: Lloyds List Lifetime Achievement Award 2010; Seatrade Global Shipping Personality of the Year 2013; Onassis Prize for Shipping 2015; Capital Link Shipping Leadership Award 2016.

Mr. Luo Xiaofeng, a professor-level senior engineer, has served as the Person in Charge of CCS Yichang Branch and General Manager of CCS Singapore Office. Currently he is the director of CCS Wuhan Rules &Research Institutes. He has long been engaged in waterborne application and risk assessment study of new energy and study on the technical standards for inland waterway and river-sea navigation ships.

He has presided over the editing of more than 30 rules or regulations including Rules for Construction of River-sea Navigation Ships of Designated Routes,Guidelines for Surveys of Unmanned Surface Vehicle, Guidelines for Surveys of Power Vessels,Rules for Inland Waterways Green Ships, Rule for construction of inland waterway ships, Rules for Natural Gas Fuelled Ships, Rules for Classification and Construction of Waterborne Liquified Natural Gas Fuelled Bunkering Pontoons, Rules for Construction and Equipment of Liquified Natural Gas Floating Srotage and Regasification Units, Rules for the construction of Ocean Fishing Vessel, and etc.

The Research of Three Gorges Reservoir area ships Navigation Safety and support technology in the charge of him awarded the first prize of China Institute of Navigation, and The Research and development of the Rules and Key technology for Liquified Natural Gas (LNG)Bunkering Pontoons awarded the second prize of China Institute of Navigation.

Graduated from Tokyo University of Mercantile Marine, Mr. Yasumasa Suetsugu is now chief technical officer of e5 lab.

Mr. Yasumasa Suetsugu has worked for Tokyo Electric Power Co., Ltd. (TEPCO), Consolidated Pool Carriers Asia (CPC), Eastern Car Liner (ECL) and Exeno Yamamizu, where He accumulated rich experience in shipbuilding and supervision. He established e5 Lab in 2019, and works as CTO.

E5 Lab Inc., jointly established by four companies of Asahi Tanker Co., Ltd., Exeno Yamamizu Corporation, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., and Mitsubishi Corporation, has enthusiastically promoted innovative projects to bring digital solutions and digital transformation to the ocean shipping industry, not only with electric vessels, but also hydrogen fuel batteries, onboard automated equipment, onboard broadband, remote control vessels, and development of a common integrated OS for ocean (vessels).

Tom Strang is Senior Vice President, Maritime Affairs for Carnival Corporation and plc. He is responsible for developing and implementing a group wide strategy for the supply of new low emission fuels for the next generation of cruise ships under order, including LNG. With the current situation impacting the cruise industry he is leading efforts to ensure that the pause in operations is coordinated safely and efficiently across all our brands. He also provides representation for the Carnival group with various maritime and governmental authorities in Europe and other regions relating to marine and technical regulatory activities.

Tom began his career as a Naval Architect with Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd and then moved to Lloyds Register where he rose to the level of senior passenger ship specialist before joining Carnival’s Corporate Shipbuilding team in 2000. Since then Tom has been involved in various areas of the business including Maritime Development and Compliance, HESS and Corporate Maritime Policy. Prior to taking up his current role, Tom was SVP Marine Operations at Costa with responsibility for marine and technical operations, manning and newbuilding for the Costa fleet.

Tom is currently chair of the ICS Passenger Ship Panel, the UK Chamber of Shipping Safety & Environment Committee, the CLIA EU Environmental, Safety and Security Sub-Committee and the Royal Institution of Naval Architects Environmental Committee. He is a member of the board of the UK Chamber of Shipping, SEA-LNG, SGMF and the Royal Institution of Naval Architects.

Dr Stopford is currently non-executive President of Clarkson Research Services Limited (CRSL) and Director of MarEcon Ltd. He is visiting Professor at Cass Business School, Dalian Maritime University and Newcastle University and has an Honorary Doctorate from Solent University. His publications include “Maritime Economics” 3rd Ed, the widely-used shipping textbook (2009), now translated into Japanese, Greek, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean and Turkish. Also, many papers on shipping economics and ship finance.

Awards: Lloyds List Lifetime Achievement Award 2010; Seatrade Global Shipping Personality of the Year 2013; Onassis Prize for Shipping 2015; Capital Link Shipping Leadership Award 2016.

Alf Kåre Ådnanes heads ABB Marine & Ports’ Product group Electric Solutions, and is Manager for the hub business line (HBL) Marine and Ports in Shanghai, China.

He started in ABB in 1991, and among previous positions in ABB, he has worked within Corporate Research, and various positions within Marine, including delivery projects, engineering, and in product management and development, and technology management for the global marine business unit for Marine & Ports. Before taking the position in China, he was HBL Manager for Marine & Ports in Singapore.

Alf Kåre holds MSc and PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Mr Li Xin is Director of Smart Ship Department of Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI). Focusing on the development of smart ships, smart systems and the integrated solutions, he developed the “Great Intelligence”, the first smart ship classified by class in the world, and 400k dwt VLOC, the biggest smart ship in the world.

Awards: Tech. Innovation by the governments; Outstanding Contribution Award for Tech. Innovation by CSSC in 2018.

Chris Chung is the Director of Digital Innovation & Strategic Projects at the Wartsila Acceleration Centre.

Chris and his team have worked on autonomous level 2 to level 4 projects including the IntelliTug, in collaboration with PSA Marine, Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore, Lloyd’s Register and Tech Centre for Offshore & Marine Singapore.

Before joining Wartsila, Chris held a number of leadership roles in Lloyd's Register, British Gas and Telstra. He is currently serving in the Technology Advisory Board of Singapore Maritime Institute and Digital Transformation Committee of the Singapore Shipping Association.