Water freight can unlock hitherto untapped potential for Scotland's supply chain, benefitting businesses and the environment alike. Industry stakeholders will be able to judge whether water freight is for them at a Freight by Water event held in September and in conjunction with the Freight Transport Association's Scottish Supply Chain Forum.
The round table seminar will review existing coastal and short-sea water freight connections for Scotland and possible future developments. It will inform potential users about the options available now and allow industry to feed back on what is needed in the years ahead for water freight to become more widespread.
The seminar, which is aimed at buyers and operators of logistics services into or out of Scotland, will include presentations on a range of topics by leading industry players, including shipping company MSC on container services, leading ferry operator DFDS on roll-on/roll-off issues, and Forth Ports.
Topics to be covered include:
Making use of existing water freight options
How to improve the quality of the Scottish water freight supply chain
The role water freight can play in improving Scotland's competitiveness and the carbon footprint of its supply chain
How does water compare to Scotland's rail freight options?
The likely impact on Scottish services of North Sea sulphur emissions regulation from 2015
Deep sea or enhanced short-sea - what is the future for Scotland?
Utilising English ports - how much is it the answer to Scotland's supply chain?
The event takes place on 7 September in Stepps, Glasgow and is free to relevant stakeholders - shippers, forwarders, hauliers, ports, shipping lines, industry suppliers, experts and journalists with an interest in the future of Scotland's supply chain and UK water freight generally. To register to attend please email Christopher Snelling at csnelling@fta.co.uk