It is the 14th National Maritime Conference in Germany and it is being held at its founding venue. Emden.

The NMK is an event organised by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) on maritime Issues and economic affairs of the maritime economy, maritime security and interests Germany. It is operated by the Maritime Coordinator, currently organised by Christoph Ploß from Hamburg. The first National Maritime Conference in Emden was signed on 13 June 2000 by the then Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder opened. Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz was also aware of this, as he - like all his predecessors - was announced as a speaker at the NMK. And never before has an NMK been under so much pressure to come up with a clear direction for the future. All previous concepts were „a bit necessary“ and were warmly welcomed. Now it is maritime security that is building up the pressure. This is probably why two ministers were present: Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder and Economics Minister Katherina Reiche herself. The last two events, Bremen 2024 and Friedrichshafen 2019, had never seen such a presence.

So far, the topics have been shipbuilding, Harbour economy, Maritime shipping and Marine technology, offshore energy and Climate- and Environmental protection the items on the agenda. But the focus is shifting: maritime security is now one of the core topics. Plus naval shipbuilding - of course. And the question: Which harbour will be the new location for a new naval base?

Moderator Alexa von Busse opened the first day of the conference with the host: Dr Christoph Ploß, Federal Government Coordinator for Maritime Economy and Tourism. The welcoming address by Tim Kruithoff, Lord Mayor of Emden, was interrupted at short notice by the arrival of Federal Chancellor Merz, but his speech was all the more brilliant overall: For Emden, for Lower Saxony, for the maritime economy and for the maritime realities of our state, which many do not want to recognise or know. It was he who clearly formulated that the maritime industry is not a side-show of German industrial policy, but the foundation. He wants results, because gold medals are not awarded for talking.

The second day began with the core topic of maritime safety: „Security begins at sea: Maritime defence and protection of maritime infrastructure as the key to stability“.  Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius greeted the participants with a video message, followed by an impressive image film of the German Navy (sorry, no link available yet...). On the panel, the Inspector of the Navy, Jan Christian Kaack, explained the limits and possibilities of the German Navy. His image: Putin should get up every morning with the thought that it is not a good day to attack NATO. To this end, the navy is deployed on the northern flank every day with everything that is possible. Withdrawing forces to the Mediterranean would force them to prioritise the northern flank. The topic of mines: Vice Admiral Kaack asked the audience how many mines would be needed to block a sea area. Answer: None at all! The mere assertion would be enough to bring everything to a standstill. Other participants on the panel included the head of the Federal Maritime Police, Senior Police Director Nils von Waaden, who confirmed the whole-of-government approach and networked thinking as a prerequisite for success. He listed the analyses and activities carried out by the Federal Police in terms of security. Christian Hirte, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Transport, presented the Cuxhaven Maritime Safety Centre as a successful example of inter-agency work out. Ministerial Director Dr Beate Baron, Head of the Industrial Policy Department at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, emphasised the need for this, Navy, authorities and civil shipping to think together.

Patrick Schnieder, Federal Minister of Transport, then spoke to the packed hall in the Nordseehalle. Hendrik Wüst, Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia, then welcomed the audience. He emphasised the understanding that the maritime economy was not a matter for the coastal states alone. It is important - from Emden to Lake Chiemsee. He reported on entrepreneurs who are sometimes hesitant to approach the defence sector due to its history and traditions. He encouraged them by pointing out that they were "on the right side" these days. The First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Peter Tschentscher, addressed the topic of the "National Port Strategy" and emphasised once again that this was a task for the entire state. "It is not a question of taking money from the federal government and spending nothing ourselves. The scale of the project far exceeds the possibilities of the coastal states. The national port strategy is a joint task for the federal and state governments, which must also be financed jointly."

In the following industry forums focussed on shipping itself with the topic „Maritime resilience and competitiveness in times of geopolitical tensions“.

The second industry forum will focus on the topic of „Maritime technology for a safe future“. The title of the third industry forum is „Key industry naval shipbuilding - setting the course for Germany's maritime defence capability“. The fourth industry forum deals with „Offshore wind energy: key technology for energy security, backbone of industrial power supply & a new dimension in considerations of protection, security and national defence in the maritime space“. The fifth industry forum will focus on „Shipbuilding - the industrial basis for Germany's maritime sovereignty, security and economic success“. The last The third industry forum deals with the topic of „harbours“, which was already frequently mentioned on the first day: „Hubs of sovereignty: Ports as guarantors of supply, competitiveness and security“.

The 14th National Maritime Conference will end in the late afternoon. In two years' time, the maritime community will meet in Duisburg, as announced by the Chancellor. Europe's largest inland harbour is located there.

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