Referenten

World Maritime University

Volker Bertram is visiting professor for ship design at the World Maritime University in Malmo and three other universities. He works at DNV GL in Hamburg and organizes conferences on future technologies for the maritime industries. He has authored more than 400 publications including two standard text books on maritime technologies. His broad expertise is appreciated in industry and academia alike.

President of Wärtsilä Voyage and Executive Vice President of Wärtsilä Corporation

Sean Fernback (Dipl Electronics Engineering) is the President of Wärtsilä Voyage and Executive Vice President of Wärtsilä Corporation. Prior to assuming this leadership role, Fernback served as Chief Technology Officer at Navico and was responsible for driving the company's digital marine agenda. Before Navico, Fernback was brought in to turn the C-MAP Marine Cartographic business around before being acquired by Navico. 

With over 25 years' experience in technology and digital innovation, Fernback is using his strategic software insight to lead Wärtsilä Voyage in the creation of a connected, digital infrastructure to enable high-performing maritime logistics. Wärtsilä Voyage supports Shipowners, Managers, Ports and Yards in their efforts to ensure secure, highly energy-efficient and cost-effective marine operations.

SVP Business Concepts, Kongsberg Maritime

Oskar Levander is SVP Business Concepts at Kongsberg Maritime and he held a similar position in Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine prior to the acquisition of the company. He joined Rolls-Royce in 2012 from Wärtsilä, where he spent the earlier part of his career after graduating from Helsinki University of Technology in 2000, with an MSc in Naval Architecture. 

Oskar has been driving the development of novel ship and propulsion concepts and has pioneered many emerging marine technologies. Today he spearheads the development of intelligence and environmentally sound concepts, including the introduction of remote & autonomous ships. He was nominated as the #1 Technology Leader by Lloyds List in 2017.

Senior Vice President DNV GL - Group Technology and Research Director

Pierre C. Sames holds the position of Group Technology and Research Director at DNV GL. He is responsible for managing the corporate strategic research and technology development projects. His previous experience includes research into hydrodynamic extreme loads, risk analysis, shipping emissions, LNG as ship fuel, rule development and regulatory affairs as well as managing maritime research for GL and DNV GL. He joined GL in 1995 after studying naval architecture in Hamburg.

World Maritime University

Volker Bertram is visiting professor for ship design at the World Maritime University in Malmo and three other universities. He works at DNV GL in Hamburg and organizes conferences on future technologies for the maritime industries. He has authored more than 400 publications including two standard text books on maritime technologies. His broad expertise is appreciated in industry and academia alike.

Senior Lecturer, Stellenbosch University

Anriëtte (Annie) Bekker completed her engineering education in South Africa. After working in industry on anomaly detection algorithms, she joined the Faculty of Engineering at Stellenbosch University where she has led sensor fusion research on heavy mobile equipment, most notably the South African Polar Supply and Research vessel “SA Agulhas II”. This work focusses on improving human element issues through automated intelligence. Her research interests include virtual sensing, machine vision, and machine learning to derive actionable insights in operational environments.

Regional Category Manager Hull Performance
Jotun – Performance Coatings

Tom H Evensen is a former officer in the Royal Norwegian Navy. He served as Chief of Supplies on a coastguard vessel and has spent 5 seasons at sea.

Having studied in Norway, Germany and the US he holds a Master of Science in Business and Economics.

After graduation he joined Northern Europe's largest consultancy company, Tieto. His primary focus being projects related to IT-systems development.

He then moved into telecommunications, working as Export Manager for a company producing various accessories related to the mobile industry.

Prior to his career in Jotun he worked for 7 years as Regional Sales Manager for a company within the building and construction industry.

In 2009 he joined Jotun as Product Manager for the SeaQuantum range, then progressed to Group Category Manager for the Antifouling department and in 2011 he joined the Hull Performance Solutions team as Sales Director. In early 2018 he was assigned the role as Deputy Project Manager for the Hull Skating Solutions project (HSS) and held that position until the solution was launched in May 2020. In early 2021 he took on the position as the Regional Category Manager Hull Performance for Western Europe and Scandinavia.

Area Manager, Sener

Dr Rodrigo Pérez Fernández is Naval Shipbuilding Area Manager at SENER, a Spanish engineering company and software provider in the maritime field. Committed to advancing maritime applications of Artificial Intelligence, he has played a key role in the development and implementation of specific functionalities within SENER´s FORAN System. He is also professor in the Marine Engineering School of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

Senior Engineer of electrical and electronic Engineering, CCS

Major Research Direction:

Research on intelligent ship rules/guideline/standard

Research on intelligent navigation technology, including navigation situational awareness fusion technology, intelligent collision-avoidance technology, Intelligent berthing & unberthing technology, etc.

Research on digital-twin technology, including equipment health assessment and intelligent fault diagnosis technology.

Research on test technology and standard of intelligent ship.