2 – 5 December 2025
Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), China
中国上海浦东新区龙阳路2345号, 上海新国际博览中心
2 – 5 December 2025
Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), China
中国上海浦东新区龙阳路2345号, 上海新国际博览中心
Moderator: Ms Stella Fung
General Manager-Maritime, Informa Markets
Guest Speaker: Mr Hauke Schlegel
Managing Director
VDMA Marine Equipment Systems
Fung:
On behalf of Informa Markets, please welcome our distinguished guest, Mr. Hauke Schlegel, Managing Director of VDMA Marine Equipment Systems to join our interview today. This is Stella from Informa Markets. I am the Event Director and thank you for, VDMA, to support Marintec China for the past 40 years. Mr. Schlegel, it is good to see you here.
Schlegel:
Yeah, thank you for the invitation. It is our pleasure.
Fung:
First of all, may I invite you to give a brief introduction of yourself to our audience please?
Schlegel:
So especially in the past year, I would say that there have been both positive and negative changes.
The positive change is that we have tackled the global pandemic together internationally. International corporation was really the key for tackling this pandemic and from that experience, we should have realized how necessary it is to cooperate globally. On the other hand, last year we had this bad experience in some countries. Peaceful times and good cooperation were disrupted and wars were build in certain countries to fight against their neighbours. It is a terrible development which ultimately benefits nobody and is a threat for all of us. We have to cope with challenges globally together, and in climate change particularly.
Fung:
Yes, there were quite a few changes last year. But yes, everything will be get back to normal and that is what we are all looking forward to. In terms of the greatest opportunity in the industry at the moment, what do you think that is?
Schlegel:
Yeah, I think, the decarbonisation of the global economies. Achieving zero carbon strategy on a global scale is really a big challenge for the industry. This is because the industry has to deliver solutions for a better environment and better climate in the future for future generations. It is a huge task but also a good chance for industries globally on a substantial scale, especially for the German industry because they are flexible in cooperating within their own sector with other sectors, so that will be the key for tackling this huge challenge of decarbonisation.
Fung:
Yes, the decarbonisation is also one of the hottest topics in the industry. Everybody is talking about this topic at the moment. How do you see the industry revolving over the next 5 years?
Schlegel:
Yeah, when I look at the maritime industry, especially shipping. We will see good development in our marine equipment industry which we are sure of many opportunities for new businesses and deepen international cooperation, especially through decarbonisation and through digitalisation and automation that we need to make shipping more environmental friendly and more efficient. So altogether, it is a very complex system that we are developing at the moment in the industry, but we see a lot of opportunity and a good development and for the individual companies.
Fung:
Thank you. To give some background information on VDMA and as well as a summary about Marintec, let’s look at the innovation from Germany. So far as we know not long ago, Germany joined zero emissions shipping mission, which is an alliance to countries to journey development zero emissions ships, fields and infrastructure by 2030. As a new member of the mission, how will Germany help to accelerate the progress toward zero emissions shipping and what directions or innovation plans are there. Mr. Schlegel?
Schlegel:
Yeah, I look at the maritime industry. And, especially the shipping. Especially we will see a good development and our marine equipment industry we are sure that there will be a lot of opportunities for a new business and, deepen. Corporation internationally for the challenging task we have and especially yeah through decarbonisation also through the digitalisation and automation we need for, making shipping more environmental friendly, more efficient. And, so altogether, it is a very complex system. We are developing at the moment in the industry, but we see a lot of opportunity and a good development and for the individual companies.
Fung:
Thank you. For giving the background information of the VDMA and the as well as a summary about Marintec, so let’s look at the innovation from Germany. So far as we know not long ago, Germany joined zero emissions shipping mission, which is an alliance to countries to journey development zero emissions ships, fields and infrastructure by 2030. As a new member of the mission, how will Germany help to accelerate the progress toward zero emissions shipping and what directions or innovation plans are there. Mr. Schlegel?
Schlegel:
Yeah, our government has set a strong focus on decarbonisation and energy transition for our country and also contributing to a faster decarbonisation globally. The key to reach these goals is to speed up the development of alternative zero carbon fuels. This means that the development of these views, especially the availability of the fuse and the availability in shipping are the key for further development towards the direction of decarbonisation. We need a lot of measures to get to these targets and our government and our member companies as well. We are developing solutions for digitalisation for automation for artificial intelligence together. for all the different types of technologies we need for securing the availability of alternative viewers on board and also on land in the ports.
Fung:
That is very encouraging. Our second question is related to automation. Even intelligence has become the main development directions of marine equipment. How does VDMA view the trend of intelligence and what counter-measures have been taken?
Schlegel:
First of all, we need through digitalisation that we have an increasing amount of signals that, automation connections, we need to cope with the industry. It is necessary to have more digital standards. For the shipping, for ship building and between the different systems onboard, we need standards. We have example for such standards now such as the well-known OPCOA standard or for the ship automation standard MTP which means module type package. Basically, this MTP allows simple integration of complex modules and systems into the overall ship automation and hopes to make digitalisation simpler, safer and quicker. One aspect is to standardize them, and the other side we see is, especially in the marine and office sectors is that that cybersecurity are on the rise. There are these threats that are prompting and extensive efforts need to be put in to safeguard people in general, and investors against a range of cyber risks. We need more regulation on the one hand to make it safer and to cope with the cyber risks. On the other hand, we need more secure assistance to develop. By the industry and also together with the government and in and with Okay. Research and development institutes. If you lot of efforts in Germany on these 2 topics. On the one hand, more standards make it simpler to connect the volume of data that we have and on the other hand, it is to develop regulation as well as technologies to cope with the cyber risks we have.
Fung:
Thank you, Mr. Schlegel, that is very impressive. So let’s move to Marintec China 2023. German pavilion remains its status as the largest among international pavilions this year. It’s always as usual. So what can we expect to see and what are the highlights of your innovative solution at Marintec China?
Schlegel:
Yeah, you will experience the German Pavilion as you know it from before the pandemic times. So we are very happy to be back. The old size and strength of this German Pavilion, which always have been the biggest and the strongest overseas pavilion at the Marintec. We are very happy to be a part of the strong Chinese German corporation on shipbuilding. What you can see is many, many individual companies and we also have a lot of, new, new exhibitors participating for the first time and new companies coming into the shipping market. That has to do with the things I’ve mentioned before, that we need a lot of technology of digitalisation and decarbonisation coming from other sectors as well. So companies which have been in other sectors are now coming now to shipping and ship-building because what we need in the maritime business are these technologies. They have developed in other sectors, so it is very, very interesting for the visitors of Marintec in China to see this new offering of industry participants, new companies, new young players in the Marintec branch that you can see at our pavilion. In general, it will be very interesting. We have a strong pavilion there and many individual, especially medium sized and, bigger companies will have a lot of new solutions to offer.
Fung:
Yes, the German Pavilion is always the largest international pavilion in Marintec China. So we look forward to seeing the German Exhibitors again at the show in December and seeing the latest. We also look forward to seeing the German exhibitors to exhibit the latest maritime technology to be showcased at Marintec China. So what do you think the most important thing for visitors to take away from is this year at Marintec China?
Schlegel:
Yeah, I think, the visitors should concentrate on the people and to meeting with them. That is also the reason we need exhibitions. So on the technologies, you can get information – You can go on the internet or other platforms But meeting with the people who are responsible and who understand your needs is what makes exhibitions essential. That is also what we like to show at the German Pavilion. So come to the companies, get in contact with them and feel, that if these are the people you can, trust or you can build up corporation for a long-lasting reliable relationship with. That is necessary in facing the huge technology challenges we have. We need a good corporation with people to build up relationship with. I think the Germans have a lot to offer in this regard. So make your visit at the German Pavilion and focus on the people during your visit and you will be very happy meeting the numerous of German companies and meeting the new faces who are also in the industry that are willing to cooperate with you to take on these challenges.
Fung:
Thank you, Mr. Schlegel, for your sharing. I’m sure there are also many clients that are looking forward to seeing the German performance members, new phase and new technology at Marintec China.
