Page 4: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 16, 2026)

Port of the Future conference 2026

Welcome from the Director

The Vision

It began in 2019, with an idea from Dr. Tony Ambler, then Dean of the College of

Technology at the University of Houston:

Create an annual port conference event that focused on future technology, designed to spur the development of new research, encourage creative solutions, and strengthen the relationship between the maritime industry and institutions of higher education.

In time, the concept dove deeper. Conference topics increasingly addressed the widen- ing gap in operational ef? ciency between current U.S. ports and ultra-modern ports em- bracing AI, automation, digitalization and information sharing, robotics and simulations.

Consistently the Port of the Future promoted the advances of ports and carriers engaged

KEVIN CLEMENT in curtailing their fossil fuel emissions to reduce and eliminate their carbon footprints.

DIRECTOR,

Tracks on “Decarbonization and Alternate Fuels” and “Port Energy and Sustainability”

PORT OF THE FUTURE have been a staple since its inception.

The Conference would not be simply a regional event. From the start, it exercised a global reach, touting port development projects, technology break throughs and pro- gram initiatives from our neighbors in the western hemisphere, the African continent,

Europe, and Asia.

The Port of the Future Conference steadily gained attention for its diverse, dynamic and highly informative programs. Hosting nine tracks, it focuses on the port and maritime industries’ most pressing and emerging challenges to promote viable solutions, highlight innovations, and identify best practices. Its format features keynote presentations, case studies, panel discussions, interviews, and technology demonstrations.

The Port of the Future Conference quickly gained acclaim for its premier speakers.

Emphasis was placed on recruiting visionaries and thought leaders to introduce new concepts, emerging government programs and initiatives, research breakthroughs and emerging threats. First year headliners included Admiral James Loy, former Secretary of Homeland Security and Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, and Alan Bersin, for- mer “Border Czar” and Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In the years that followed, featured speakers included CEOs and C-suite executives from ports and the maritime and energy industry worldwide.

Past headliners included acknowledged visionaries Waleid Gamal El Din, Chair- man of the Suez Canal Economic Zone; shipping and maritime commerce expert John

D. McKown; General Stephen Lloyd, Port and Supply Chain Envoy to the Biden-

Harris Administration’s Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force; Admiral Carl Frantz,

Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, and former Commissioner Carl Bentzel, Federal

Maritime Commission.

After three years, the paradigm changed. The Port of the Future Conference elimi- nated “pay to speak” to further encourage the participation of start-ups, think tanks, and research laboratories, so often the catalysts for new concepts and solutions. Speakers now register at no cost.

Intent on creating a critical mass of 50 or more port representatives assembled in one place, the Port of the Future Conference began offering free representation to a repre- sentative from each port. It was an immediate success, with more than 60 port representa- tives in attendance from ports worldwide over the last four years.

In 2025, the Port of the Future Conference passed from the University of Houston to

New Wave Media ...

4 A New Wave Media Publication • www.marinelink.com • www.oedigital.com