Despina Travlou
Managing Director, Slide2Open Communications
Maritime Ambassador, IEEE Standards Association

Organizer’s Editorial

“For years, the shipping industry has been pressured to lead the green transition, responding with investment readiness and strategic resolve. Today, we face a paradox: while shipowners have shown a clear willingness to cooperate on sustainable solutions, the surrounding ecosystem, from regulators to energy producers, is now pausing to consider the inherent difficulties in implementing stringent guidelines and deadlines. At the 9th Slide2Open Shipping Finance Conference, we shift the narrative. Our goal is not just to discuss what shipping must do next, but how the entire ‘Nexus’ can urgently converge to provide the clarity required for global trade to thrive. Shipping has stepped up; now, the ecosystem must align.”

Overview

Shipping is the backbone of global trade, yet it currently faces a strategic impasse. After years of building consensus around ambitious climate goals, the late 2025 postponement of the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework has created a unique opportunity for all stakeholders to approach the transition with renewed realism.

This pause, while offering a moment for reflection, presents significant challenges. Shipowners are called to commit billions to newbuildings and propulsion systems amidst a fluctuating regulatory roadmap and an evolving fuel supply chain. Simultaneously, geopolitical shifts and longer trade routes are driving up operational costs, contributing to global inflationary pressures, and tightening tonnage supply.

Shipping is not diverging from its commitments; rather, the entire ecosystem is being challenged. The 9th Slide2Open Shipping Finance Conference serves as a catalyst for this essential alignment. We bring together shipowners, charterers, financiers, policymakers, shipyards, port authorities, classification societies, and technology leaders to bridge the gap between regulatory uncertainty and commercial reality. Our mission is to foster the renewed dialogue necessary to ensure shipping remains resilient, affordable, and climate-aligned.

Key Discussion Topics

• The Cost of Inaction: Examining how regulatory pauses and technological development lags impact global inflation and market volatility.
• The Post-IMO Landscape: Navigating the interplay between regional mandates (EU ETS/FuelEU) and global policy shifts.
• The Investment Dilemma: Hedging risks in newbuildings when the “fuels of tomorrow” and the required technologies are still catching up with regulatory demands.
• Capital Influx: How financiers and investors view transition risk in a period of deferred regulatory enforcement.
• Geopolitics & Supply Chains: The impact of rerouting and “fragmented seas” on fleet deployment and freight rates.
• Infrastructure & Energy Hubs: Ensuring ports and fuel suppliers can match the industry’s required pace of investment.
• Restoring Convergence: A roadmap for aligning policy, technology, and capital to de-risk the maritime energy transition.

Register now! Join us as we lead the way and let’s shape the future of Shipping together!