Intermodal freight transportation is reported to be one of the largest growing markets in the world, estimated to be worth $12.28 billion* in 2014 and growing to $26.19 billion* by 2019. The increasing buoyancy of the industry was highlighted at Intermodal Europe 2014, the leading exhibition and conference for global container transport and logistics, across the road, rail and sea sectors.
This year’s Intermodal Europe exhibition, held in the vibrant port city of Rotterdam, provided a platform for over 100 exhibitors showcasing their latest products and services, and thousands of industry professionals in the container, transport and logistics industry, to come together, and shape the future of the intermodal freight transportation market.
“We offer a lot of innovations for the container industry,” says Boudewijn Ligterink, Director of AM-Solution, a company that offers maintenance and electronics repairs and consumable spare parts, develops innovative tools, and provides consulting, advising and marketing services. “Intermodal Europe is a great place for good feedback and it’s great for networking.”
The global issues of cost and emissions reductions were addressed at the show. “With a reported increase in global container trade** earlier this year, theindustry continues to focus on improvement in these areas,” says Sophie Ahmed, Event Director.
Container designer, research and development company, Holland Container Innovations (HCI), officially launched 4FOLD, the world’s first and only fully certified 40ft HC foldable container, with a conference session and live demonstrations at Intermodal Europe 2014.
Foldable containers help to reduce the costs associated with transporting empty containers, enabling four folded containers to be transported in the space of just one standard container. This also helps to reduce emissions through decreasing the number of journeys required to transport four folded containers.
Some of the industry’s most significant container and logistics companies exhibited at Intermodal 2014 including: Carrier Transicold, UNIT45, Maersk Container industry AS, Thermo King, iInterchange Systems Private Limited, Textainer, Seaco, CARU, CPI Group, Dong Fang International Asset Management (Germany GmbH), AM-Solution, DAIKIN, the Container Owners Association (COA) and many more.
“Intermodal Europe is chosen by many companies as a platform to launch new products to the industry as well as to reconnect with customers, prospects and industry peers, all under one roof” says Sophie Ahmed.
Corry Brennan, Regional Sales Manager – Simplex, for exhibiting company, Globalstar, was also a conference speaker at the event. “Intermodal Europe is not just for logistics and transport companies, but for all “Value Add” suppliers into this diverse industry,” he says.
With over 30 free-to-attend conference sessions over the three days, visitors to Intermodal Europe were invited to listen, and share their ideas about a number of influential topics, including growth and consolidation in the container industry, secure global supply chains and developing the Pak-China Intermodal Economic Corridor.
A workshop conference session addressing ‘Intelligent Logistics through Partnering in the Supply Chain’ was chaired by European freight forwarders association, CLECAT, and the European Shippers Council (ESC). The session gave shippers and freight forwarders the opportunity to share information and address some of the challenges that face users and operators through partnerships within the supply chain, as well as looking at some of the developments within the industry.
“The conference session was great. I didn’t expect so much discussion of different points of view from shippers, providers and consultants” says Joost Sitskoorn, Acting Secretary General, European Shippers’ Council (ESC), who was part of the workshop. “We can’t ask for a better environment than Intermodal Europe.”
Conference speakers offered knowledge and valuable solutions to a variety of current challenges within the industry.
A conference session discussing the eMAR (e-Maritime Strategic Framework and Simulation based Validation) project was chaired by Ioannis Koliousis, eMAR Communications Manager, and included a round table discussion.The session addressed whether Supply Chain Excellence can be achieved through ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Innovation and looked into facilitating information exchange among maritime business and governmental actors. It also explored new business opportunities for companies, reducing administrative barriers in European shipping and ways that shipping operations can be improved with advanced collaboration tools.
“Intermodal Europe is an interesting platform, bringing people together from across the logistics sectors to discuss innovation” says Ioannis Koliousis. “As a research project, presenting our results at Intermodal 2014 offers us an opportunity to engage with industry stakeholders and discuss our ideas with relevant people. Conference attendees learnt what’s happening with European Commission funded research in their domain, which they could take back to their business strategy decision makers, and be better informed as to what new technologies and policy roadmaps are relevant for their business.”
For the first time, Intermodal Europe co-located with Transport & Logistics Rotterdam, increasing business opportunities for all involved. “There is a strong crossover between both Intermodal Europe and Transport & Logistics events,” explains Sophie Ahmed. “By co-locating we offered a number of additional benefits to visitors and exhibitors of both events, and there was more spending power than ever.”
Widely considered to be one of the most important events in the container shipping calendar, Intermodal 2014 was a huge success for all involved and exhibitor stands for the 2015 event are already selling quickly.
To exhibit, or speak at the 2015 event, or to find out more please contact Sophie Ahmed on [email protected] or + 44 (0) 207 017 5112. Visithttp://www.intermodal-events.com for further information.
*http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/intermodal-freight-transportation.asp
**According to the June 2014 Container Throughput Index of the Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (RWI) in Essen and the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) in Bremen.
