Aproveitando a sua vinda a Portugal para participar na Porto Maritime Week, a AGEPOR esteve à conversa com Peter Sand, analista chefe da BIMCO. 

Os desafios do shipping, as estratégias para o setor em Portugal, e, de caminho, conselhos sobre investimentos foram os temas abordados, num diálogo cuja leitura se recomenda.

AGEPOR - In your opinion which are the main challenges of the Shipping Industry for the next 10 years? If possible, name 3…

Peter Sand - 1) Getting started with the real decarbonization of the industry – when you have to go beyond the present-day options and efficiency gains to cut fuel consumption.

2) Adjusting your business to a likely situation where the next 10 years will see trade growth at a lower rate than earlier decades as the demand is changing.

3) The challenge of digitizing and making a more digital version of the shipping industry. Embrace it at it will benefit you, to move away for a much more analog trading environment. To facilitate trade, by making smarter solutions and removing any red tape that makes trading difficult.

AGEPOR - If you had to give one single advice to Portugal regarding the developing of a strategy to increase the volume of cargo handled through the logistic chain (including ports) which on you will choose? 

Peter Sand - Firstly, be good at what you do today – be really good. Then start to add services on top of that, services that the industry needs. Easier access to ports, longer opening hours, utilize existing infrastructure to a larger extend. Ensure that you have scale in operations, if not, make it happen, collaborate to bring scale to a facility/port. Two ports may benefit from being more specialized in what they do, collaborating on a scale where they both specialize, making the one port grown in throughput of one product while the other cease to do business in that field - and the other way around.

AGEPOR - If by any chance you have in hands a big amount to invest do you think shipping would be a good idea?

Peter Sand - Investing shipping to secure a steady cashflow over 10-15 years would always be a good idea. Infrastructure developments throughout the logistics network and global supply chains is always needed. At the same time, you may get a decent risk-return profile, one that you would not get in many other sectors. If you go into the seaborne leg of logistics, the equivalent would be to secure a very long charter to an A-rated counterpart, for a sting on ships. Go for 10 ships of 15,000 TEU for instance and find a top carrier to fix with.