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Speakers 2026 |
Theme: Ferries and Ports – Connecting People and Business
Melinda Holmgren brings more than 15 years of experience in growth, commercial strategy and business transformation, including several leadership roles within Telenor. Her work has consistently focused on turning customer needs and market insights into commercial opportunities. At Telenor Maritime, she applies this experience to the maritime connectivity market, with a particular focus on customer experience and sustainable commercial growth.
- Title of presentation
From Months to Days: How AI Is Changing the Economics of Software For decades, companies bought generic software because custom software was too expensive. AI has dramatically reduced the cost and time of building software, making highly tailored solutions practical again.
From Months to Days: How AI Is Changing the Economics of Software For decades, companies bought generic software because custom software was too expensive. AI has dramatically reduced the cost and time of building software, making highly tailored solutions practical again.
- Bio
Mikael Egnér is CEO and founder of Ferry Systems International and previouslyspent 17 years at Stena Line, including four years as Chief Architect. He has dedicated his career to modernizing the ferry industry's technology landscape through the Lighthouse reservation platform.
Over the past two years, Mikael has focused heavily on applying artificial intelligence across software development, security, product innovation and business operations. His teams have used AI to accelerate development, enabling the rapid creation of new products, internal systems and advanced decision-support tools that previously would have required significantly larger organizations and budgets.
In this session, Mikael shares practical lessons from building an AI-native company and explores what these changes mean for the future of the ferry industry.
Born in 1969, Philippe developed an early interest in ferries and ro-ro shipping as the son of a master mariner who commanded ferries on the Ostend-Dover line. Growing up around the industry in the early 1980s sparked a lifelong engagement with and passion for the sector, expressed through early data collection on ferry fleets, operators, and routes, and extensive travel to study ships and ports across Europe.
Over time this developed into specialist writing and industry analysis, resulting in publications and interviews with leading figures in the ferry and ro-ro industry. Through decades of research, travel, and dialogue with industry decision-makers, he has built a strong network and reputation as a respected analyst of the sector.
He runs C&MORE, a consultancy providing market intelligence, analysis, and strategic insight to stakeholders across the ferry and ro-ro industry, including AXS Signal Ocean, EHRENBERG SØRENSEN Kommunikation, as well as shipbrokers, shipyards, and ferry operators. He is also a member of the DNV Ferry Committee, to which he reports on ferry safety incidents and related trends.
- Presentation title:
The ai readiness reality check: What operators actually need before they deploy anything
The ai readiness reality check: What operators actually need before they deploy anything
- Bio
Christopher Kirman is a seasoned technology executive with a distinguished career driving IT strategy and digital transformation.
In his current role, as Chief Partnerships Officer, he leverages the deep maritime expertise gained during his recent tenure as CIO at Brittany Ferries to unlock new commercial opportunities and build high-impact technology alliances within the ferry sector.
A natural at aligning advanced technology with core business goals, Christopher excels at turning strategic partnerships into powerful drivers for business growth.
Dr. Thomas Bauer is in charge of SOLVAY's exhaust gas treatment activities in the maritime industry (SOLVAir® Marine). He holds a master degree in Process Engineering and a doctorate degree in Energy and Economics of the RWTH Aachen University in Germany. After 4 years as scientific employee in the Research Center Jülich he joined the Solvay Group in 1992 and has been working there in different functions. Before taking over the responsibility for SOLVAir Marine® as Global Project Director he was in charge of the Head of Sales & Marketing of SOLVAY's flue gas treatment activities (SOLVAir® Solutions) on land in Germany and Central Europe.
Manos Giakoumelis is Chief Technology Officer at Liknoss, where he leads the technology strategy and development of large-scale reservation and distribution platforms powering the ferry and maritime travel ecosystem across multiple international markets.
With over 15 years of experience in product and engineering leadership, he drives the evolution of resilient, future-ready digital platforms that support high-volume travel operations and complex industry requirements.
With over 15 years of experience in product and engineering leadership, he drives the evolution of resilient, future-ready digital platforms that support high-volume travel operations and complex industry requirements.
Evgenios is a global partnerships executive, with 20 years' experience, currently working on trust and economics that connect protection to everyday life. His experience defined by "impact at scale" began as a journalist, shaping public understanding through research, then grew at an international NGO and global partnerships in collaboration with private companies, the United Nations and the European Commission. At AXA, where he built a Strategic Partnerships Division from scratch bringing protection to ever-larger audiences. Today, as Head of Global Partnerships (BoD) at Wallbid he works to bring protection everywhere, for everyone, embedding it into existing customer journeys.
Bent Hansen is a Partner at Mantec, an international consultancy and member of the Andersen Consulting Group.
He is an experienced executive with a background in shipping, logistics, warehousing, food manufacturing, and recruitment across Denmark and the Nordic region. He has also spent four years working in the aquaculture industry on Borneo in Malaysia.
Bent joined Mantec in 2004 as a Partner and has since focused ondeveloping international sales.
He is an experienced executive with a background in shipping, logistics, warehousing, food manufacturing, and recruitment across Denmark and the Nordic region. He has also spent four years working in the aquaculture industry on Borneo in Malaysia.
Bent joined Mantec in 2004 as a Partner and has since focused ondeveloping international sales.
Click on arrow below for company profile
Ugur Emir Mengenecioglu is a third-generation shipowner and maritime entrepreneur, son of Murat Mengenecioglu and grandson of the renowned Turkish shipowner Ugur Mengenecioglu, carrying forward a family legacy in international shipping and shipyard management.
He joined UM Deniz in 2020 as a Board Member and has since been actively involved in the strategic development of the family’s maritime activities. He was also part of the Strategic Research & Development team behind SENSUS, contributing to the development of its innovative ferry concept and overall vision.
Ugur studied Physics at Queen Mary University of London and Business Administration at Regent’s University London. Fluent in Turkish, English and French, he brings a scientific, commercial and international perspective to the maritime industry.
His focus is on developing the next generation of ferry transportation through innovative hydrodynamics, with SENSUS 42 SWATH combining exceptional seakeeping, passenger comfort, fuel efficiency and minimal wake.
His vision is to combine generations of maritime experience with innovation and help redefine the future of ferry transportation.
He joined UM Deniz in 2020 as a Board Member and has since been actively involved in the strategic development of the family’s maritime activities. He was also part of the Strategic Research & Development team behind SENSUS, contributing to the development of its innovative ferry concept and overall vision.
Ugur studied Physics at Queen Mary University of London and Business Administration at Regent’s University London. Fluent in Turkish, English and French, he brings a scientific, commercial and international perspective to the maritime industry.
His focus is on developing the next generation of ferry transportation through innovative hydrodynamics, with SENSUS 42 SWATH combining exceptional seakeeping, passenger comfort, fuel efficiency and minimal wake.
His vision is to combine generations of maritime experience with innovation and help redefine the future of ferry transportation.
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Erik Arveschoug is an Account Manager at Ripple Operations, working with ferry and maritime operators across Europe on digital crew management, HR, payroll, training and workforce solutions.
With a background in maritime commercial operations and shipbroking, he brings both industry and technology perspectives to the challenges facing modern ferry operators. His focus is on helping maritime organisations better connect people, data and operational decision-making.
With a background in maritime commercial operations and shipbroking, he brings both industry and technology perspectives to the challenges facing modern ferry operators. His focus is on helping maritime organisations better connect people, data and operational decision-making.
Hans-Christoph Burmeister is working as Business Development Manager for Anschütz and is also the responsible product manager for Anschütz’ commercial autonomy suite Autonomics. Currently, he is preparing the product launch of Anschütz new assistance system Autonomics CGA for COLREG-compliant collision and grounding avoidance assistance onboard crewed vessels.
Hans-Christoph has a long history in developing and shaping maritime autonomy. Before his career at Anschütz, he headed the Department ‘Sea Traffic and Nautical Solutions’ at Fraunhofer-Center for Maritime Logistics and Services CML in Hamburg, Germany as well as the Fraunhofer Innovation Platform for Smart Shipping FIP-S2@Novia in Turku, Finland. Amongst others, Hans-Christoph Burmeister coordinated the internationally known European research project MUNIN on unmanned vessels from 2012 to 2015 as well as the industrial Autonomous Navigation Test-Bed development for Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering from 2015 to 2016, paving the way for autonomy solutions in commercial shipping. Thereby, his main focus was on COLREG-compliant collision avoidance algorithms. From 2020 onwards, his department exploited those research results industrially under his leadership, as e.g. by demonstrating the first remote controlled tug towing maneuver with Voith in 2021 as well as the product development of EyeCaptain, a camera-based assistance system for officer of the Schulte Group.
Hanna Roihuvaara is Head of Marketing & Communications at Weasel Port Solutions (WPS). She works at the intersection of product, sales and customer communications, focusing on how critical infrastructure can be made more controllable, predictable and customer-friendly through practical digitalisation. With a strong background in B2B marketing and communications, Hanna translates complex operational reality into clear messages, stories and materials that support better decision-making and smoother everyday operations for ports, operators and their stakeholders.
Hanna Roihuvaara
Head of Marketing & Communications at Weasel Port Solutions (WPS)
Mike Karjagin is Sales Director, Ports & Logistics at Weasel Port Solutions, with a long career in the maritime and logistics ecosystem. With roughly 30 years of experience, he has worked in port and cargo operations, ferry and shipping environments, and in senior commercial and leadership roles across forwarding, rail services, and logistics solutions. Mike combines hands-on operational understanding with a strong sales and customer-care mindset, helping ports and ferry operators modernise passenger, vehicle, and cargo flows through practical digitalisation and better operational control.
Mike Karjagin
Sales Director, Ports & Logistics at Weasel Port Solutions
Vedran Leso is Managing Director of Adaptive Recognition Global Services ApS in Copenhagen, Denmark, the company behind Adaptive Port Systems.
Adaptive Port Systems automates the vehicle journey through ferry terminals and Ro-Ro ports, from the approach road to the car deck, built on 35 years of ANPR engineering by Adaptive Recognition in Hungary.
Vedran runs the full customer lifecycle: pre-sales, integration, deployment, monitoring and support, and SLA. He works with ferry and Ro-Ro operators and port authorities across Europe, including Port of Dover, Rosslare Europort and others…
Stelios Christakos is a Digital Transformation and Change Management consultant with more than three decades of experience helping the ferry and passenger-shipping industry adopt emerging technology.
He is also an Advisory Board member, Angel Investor and startup founder.
He pioneered Greece’s first computerized ferry ticketing system in 1989 and its first Ferry Reservations System in 1991.
Since 2019, he is Strategy and Business Development Advisor to Certus Online S.A. — creator of the CertusBook™ platform powering booking, ticketing and check-in for ferry operators across Greece and the Mediterranean.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stelios-christakos/
He is also an Advisory Board member, Angel Investor and startup founder.
He pioneered Greece’s first computerized ferry ticketing system in 1989 and its first Ferry Reservations System in 1991.
Since 2019, he is Strategy and Business Development Advisor to Certus Online S.A. — creator of the CertusBook™ platform powering booking, ticketing and check-in for ferry operators across Greece and the Mediterranean.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stelios-christakos/
Stelios Christakos
Strategy and Business Development Advisor to Certus Online S.A.
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Jan‑Erik Räsänen is the Marine Energy Transition Executive Director at Foreship by RINA, based in Helsinki. He leads Foreship’s global technology organisation, bringing together specialists in battery energy storage systems, alternative fuels, energy‑efficiency solutions and emerging maritime technologies.
A recognised authority on ship power and onboard energy systems, Mr. Räsänen specialises in reducing energy consumption and developing solutions that significantly lower emissions from shipboard plants. He works closely with vessel owners and operators, advising on practical pathways to improve energy efficiency and support long‑term decarbonisation strategies tailored to the evolving regulatory landscape.
Mr. Räsänen has extensive experience in evaluating Energy Saving Devices and assessing the requirements and performance of alternative fuels onboard ships. Widely consulted on the integration of low‑carbon fuels and zero‑emission technologies, he has also provided technical leadership on multiple projects involving the design and installation of battery energy storage systems across a wide range of vessel types.
A recognised authority on ship power and onboard energy systems, Mr. Räsänen specialises in reducing energy consumption and developing solutions that significantly lower emissions from shipboard plants. He works closely with vessel owners and operators, advising on practical pathways to improve energy efficiency and support long‑term decarbonisation strategies tailored to the evolving regulatory landscape.
Mr. Räsänen has extensive experience in evaluating Energy Saving Devices and assessing the requirements and performance of alternative fuels onboard ships. Widely consulted on the integration of low‑carbon fuels and zero‑emission technologies, he has also provided technical leadership on multiple projects involving the design and installation of battery energy storage systems across a wide range of vessel types.