Smart Maritime Network Tokyo Conference
14 October 2026
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本カンファレンスは日英同時通訳にて進行いたします
This conference will be conducted with simultaneous translation between English and Japanese
Smart Maritime Network Tokyo 2026: Shaping Japan’s Maritime Future
Join Japan’s maritime community and international industry leaders at the Kaiun Club, Tokyo, on 14 October 2026 for a day of discussion on the opportunities and decisions shaping shipping’s future.
From floating data centres and space logistics to practical decarbonisation choices, SMN Tokyo 2026 will explore where maritime innovation is heading and what it takes to put it into practice. The programme combines keynote insights with four focused panel discussions, examining new business opportunities alongside the investment, cyber resilience and leadership needed to support lasting change.
Key themes include:
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒓 - 𝑭𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒂 𝑪𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔, 𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑱𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒏’𝒔 𝑰𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒆
Explore how maritime expertise can support new industries and business models. What makes these emerging opportunities commercially credible, and where can Japanese shipping play a leading role?
𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 - 𝑫𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌
What should Japanese shipping invest in now? Examine the choices facing owners and operators, from operational efficiency and vessel retrofits to alternative fuels, and the partnerships needed to turn investment into measurable emissions reductions.
𝑪𝒚𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆
As vessels and shore operations become more connected, cyber resilience is central to safe and reliable shipping. Join a ClassNK-moderated discussion on managing maritime cyber risk and strengthening readiness across the industry.
𝑾𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑨 𝑱𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒏 - 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑽𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔
Explore how maritime leaders can put inclusion, trust and opportunity into practice. This session will consider the people and values shaping the industry’s future, including the evolving opportunities for women in shipping.
An extended networking lunch featuring SMNxTech Talks will offer opportunities to discover technologies and exchange ideas with industry peers. Continue the conversations at our evening Darts-UP networking event, with drinks, canapés and friendly competition.
Japanese–English simultaneous interpretation will be available throughout the conference.
Join us in Tokyo to share experience, build connections and help shape the next steps for Japan’s maritime industry.
Conference Sponsors
Supporting collaboration in the maritime technology sector
Headline Sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Technology Display Zone Partners
Supported By
With an expert line up ready to share their knowledge and experience:
- Naotaka Ishizawa, President, NYK Digital Academy; NYK Fellow and General Manager, NYK Line
- Sakura Kuma, President, WISTA Japan & Executive Officer, MOL
- Jim Smith, Regional Commercial Manager, Lloyd’s Register
- Kenji Togasaki, General Manager, IINO Lines
- Takuya Sakamoto, CEO, MOL PLUS Co., Ltd.
- Kumi Miyashita, Corporate Officer, ClassNK
- Laurie Eve, VP Global Merchant Sales, Inmarsat Maritime
- Jakob P. Larsen, Chief Safety & Security Officer, BIMCO
- Ryan Son, Managing Director, Rakuten Symphony
- Marty Cochrane, CEO, CEATAEC/Wilhelmsen Group
- Nir Gartzman – Co-Partner & Managing Director, TheDOCK
- Takeru “Nonu” Suzuki, Country Manager, Blue Visby Solution
- Yukie Teo, President, WISTA Singapore
- Nir Ayalon, CEO, Cydome
- Rob O’Dwyer, Chief Network Officer, Smart Maritime Network
- Cathy Hodge, COO, Smart Maritime Network
- And many more to be announced
Learning
Learn from our expert speakers and get up to date on the latest technology developments.
Sharing
Share ideas on how to transform the shipping business using digital technologies.
Networking
Reconnect with your peers in the maritime IT sector and make new contacts to benefit your business.
Conference Agenda // 14 October 2026
Agenda to follow shortly - Sign up to our mailing list for updates! For further enquiries please contact cathy.hodge@smartmaritimenetwork.com.
Conference Agenda // 14 October 2026
Keynote Panel: Fireside Chat – Leadership in Maritime Digitalisation: Turning Vision into Scalable Value 10:00Exploring leadership mindset, organisational change, and real-life digital project deployment. Topics include reskilling crews for AI, collaboration challenges between stakeholders, and lessons from the fastest proof-of-concept to rollout.
🔹 Strategic leadership mindset & organisational change
🔹 Vision vs reality – single digital project that moved fastest from PoC to fleet
🔹 AI-driven operations – reskilling of mariners, superintendents, shore crews
🔹 People, culture & change: ensuring cross-division alignment
🔹 Partnerships – streamlining joint efforts between owners, yards, class, vendors
🔹 Real-world tech scale-up – lessons from green fuel and digital roll outs
🔹 Governance models – how to manage digital at scale with accountability
Hosted by: Rob O’Dwyer, Chief Network Officer, Smart Maritime Network
Confirmed Panellists:
• Chiharu Kawakita, Project Manager, Green Innovation Fund Project (Next-generation Ship Development) & Deputy Director General, Hydrogen and Ammonia Department, NEDO
• Makoto Yamaguchi, Executive Fellow, MOL (Mitsui OSK Line)
• Shingo Ikeda, Exec Officer of GHG Reduction Strategy, Advanced Technology and Shipbuilding, "K" line (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd)
• Hajime Akamatsu, DGM DX promotion Group, NYK (Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha)
Tea/Coffee Break 11:00A chance to network with each other and meet our Smart Maritime Network Partners
Industry Keynote - Thriving in the Digital Age 11:15William Ku, Regional Director, Strategic Markets, Inmarsat Maritime
Panel 1 – Investing in Maritime Innovation: Bridging the Gaps 11:45Exploration of public and private funding sources for maritime innovation. Panelists discuss the journey from prototype to commercial deployment, risk management, lessons learned, and strategic partnerships. Topics include corporate venture capital, overcoming the “valley of death,” and investment models for AI, green fuels, and autonomy.
🔹 Funding the Innovation Journey
Where is capital coming from (public, private, and blended models), and how are maritime ventures being supported from seed stage to scale-up?
🔹 Overcoming the “Valley of Death”
How are risks being managed across R&D, demonstration, and pilot phases—and what lessons have been learned from implementation efforts that reached deployment?
🔹 Making Maritime Innovation Investable
What are investors and corporates looking for in scalable solutions around AI, green fuels, autonomy, and digital infrastructure?
🔹 Partnerships & Ecosystems
The evolving role of corporate venture capital, collaborative platforms, and strategic alliances—what’s working, and where are stakeholders still misaligned?
🔹 Defining Success
What KPIs, returns, and timelines matter today—and how do we measure the impact of innovation in maritime?
Hosted by: Nir Gartzman, Co-Founder & Managing Director, theDOCK
Confirmed Panellists:
• Tetsuji Madarame, Principal Fellow, Japan Freight Railway & Advisory Board Member, Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (Smart Logistics Services) of the Government of Japan
• Haruki Chua, General Manager, Klaveness Japan KK
• Takuya Sakamoto, Representative, MOL PLUS Co., Ltd.
• Belle Lim, Director Portfolio and Investor Relations, Motion Ventures
• Samuel Soo, Counsellor (Maritime), Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in Tokyo/Regional Director (Japan & Korea), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)
Lunch & SMNx Talks 12:30Grab your lunch and rejoin the Conference Room to hear from our sponsors. Each sponsor will have a quick fire session on stage to share their latest innovations. This will be followed by tea/coffee in the main lobby for you to visit the sponsors and discuss their developments.
- Panel 2 – Data Standards and AI at Sea: Foundations and Frontiers 14:00
How maritime transformation is being driven both by robust data standards and the emerging use of artificial intelligence, each playing a distinct yet interdependent role in enabling smarter, safer, and more scalable maritime operations..
🔹 Digital Foundations
– The importance of data standards for secure and transparent system integration – Ongoing institutional and cross-border efforts to harmonise maritime data flows
🔹 Enabling AI, Responsibly
– Regulatory frameworks, industry guidelines, and approval processes for AI-enabled systems
– Where AI is already being applied: practical use cases in safety, performance, and fleet management
🔹 From Structure to Scale
– How standards create a platform for AI innovation - ensuring accuracy, interoperability, and trust
– Insights into data governance models, privacy considerations, and risk mitigation
🔹 Collaborative Innovation
– How classification societies, government agencies, research institutes, and technology firms are coordinating to advance both standardisation and smart applications
– Challenges and opportunities in aligning public and private initiatives
Hosted by: Luis Benito, Director of Business Development & Marketing, Wallem Group
Confirmed Panellists:
• Shogo Yamada, General Manager/NYK Fellow (Maritime Data Strategy), Technical Group, NYK Line
• Nanjappa Moodera, General Manager - MOL Maritex Co.,Ltd.
• Naoto Nakagawa, Senior Councilor, Senior Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC)
• Terry Bleakley, RVP Sales for Asia, ST Engineering iDirect
- Panel 3 – Autonomous Shipping in Japan: What’s Next? 14:50
Japan’s leadership in Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), covering regulatory progress, pilot projects, and commercial readiness. Discussions include MEGURI2040 ferry and Ro-Ro trials, AI control architecture, remote operator licensing, liability, business models, insurance, and export potential.
🔹 MEGURI2040 Stage 2 results: what the latest ferry, feeder and Ro-Ro trials reveal about safety, reliability and customer acceptance.
🔹 DFFAS+ control architecture: how the new Fleet Operation Centres and APExS-auto standard knit shipboard AI with shore-side oversight.
🔹 Regulation & people: class approval, remote-operator licensing and liability questions on the road to full commercial service.
🔹 Business case & risk: capex/opex modelling, insurance appetite and export potential for “made-in-Japan” autonomous solutions.
Hosted by: Hideyuki Ando, Managing Director, Monohakobi Technology Institute
Confirmed Panellists:
• Capt. Jun Nakamura, Manager, Autonomous Ship Team, Maritime & Logistics Technology Group, MTI Co., Ltd (NYK Group)
• Capt. Koji Uryu, Marine Technology Team, Marine Group, NYK Line
• Jim Smith, Customer Success Executive Partner, Lloyd’s Register
• Takahiro Yamazaki, Director for Maritime Autonomous Ship Standards, Safety Policy Division, Maritime Bureau, MLIT
Tea/Coffee Break 15:40A chance to network with each other and meet our Smart Maritime Network Partners
Driving Decarbonisation through Data: MOL’s DarWIN Project and Operational Excellence Initiatives 16:10Through the DarWIN Project, MOL is redefining operational excellence by integrating ESD technologies, advanced data systems, and digital decision-making tools. This holistic approach supports the company’s Environmental Vision 2.2 and demonstrates how digitalisation can drive practical GHG reductions while enhancing safety, efficiency, and collaboration
• Yuta Ito, Vice President, EcoMOL, MOL Enterprise (Phillippines) Inc.
• Rieko Kondo, Corporate Sustainability Division, Tokyo, MOL
• Yusuke Miyamoto, Ship Management Strategy and Supervising Div. (Dry Cargo), Mitsui O.S.K.Lines, Ltd.- Panel 4 – Decarbonisation in Practice: Operational Solutions and Systemic Change 16:55
As the maritime industry works to meet regulatory and climate targets, this session focuses on real-world strategies driving decarbonisation — from ship operations to port infrastructure and sustainable investment.
Hear from leaders on the front lines of implementation as they discuss how efficiency technologies, clean fuels, smart corridors, and ESG-aligned investments are taking shape in Japan and beyond.
Key discussion points include:
🔹 Lessons from the Japan–Singapore Green and Digital Shipping Corridor
🔹 Port decarbonisation initiatives in Yokohama and infrastructure for clean fuels
🔹 Fleet optimisation through data, digital tools, and behaviour change
🔹 Investment trends and what makes a maritime sustainability project bankable
🔹 Aligning operations with evolving emissions regulations and ESG expectations
Hosted by: Naoto Nakagawa, Senior Councilor, Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC)
Confirmed Panellists:
• Dhritiman Hui, Director Investments, Eastern Pacific Shipping
• Dr. Mariko Kuroda, Head of the Group, Performance of Ships in Actual Seas Research Group, Fluids Engineering & Hull Design Department, National Maritime Research Institute
• Hitoshi Nakamura, Director for Carbon-Neutral Port Promotion, Port & Harbor Bureau, City of Yokohama
• Tetsuro Ashida, Specialist (Digital & Environment), Department. Maritime DX Co-Creation Unit / Ship Technology Unit, Headquarters of Technological & Digital Transformation, Mitsui O.S.K.Lines, Ltd.
• Marty Cochrane, CEO, CETAEC/Wilhelmsen
Evening Networking Reception – Darts-Up Takeover 17:45Kick back and team up for a fun-filled evening at our Darts-Up takeover in one of Tokyo’s favourite spots. Whether you’re a darts enthusiast or a first-timer, this is a great chance to relax, network, and build connections in a lively, team-focused environment. Enjoy drinks, delicious finger food, and friendly competition — plus, there’ll be awards and prizes to keep the energy high and the fun flowing. Don’t miss out on an evening of great company and memorable moments!
PHOTO GALLERY
Maritime Digitalisation Advisors
International experts covering a range of maritime digitalisation technologies will be on hand at the Smart Maritime Network Tokyo Conference, ready to discuss how your company can leverage its data to improve processes and drive efficiency in an increasingly connected market
Conference Sponsors
Supporting collaboration in the maritime technology sector
Headline Sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Technology Display Zone Partners
Supported By
Venue
Kaiun Club
2 Chome-6-4 Hirakawacho,
Chiyoda City,
Tokyo 102-0093
Registration
Shipping Company VIP Pass
€ 0
- Free registration for qualifying vessel operators (includes ship owners/managers/builders, and selected industry stakeholders - subject to confirmation by the organisers).
Conference Delegate Pass
€ 795
- Delegate pass for admission to all conference sessions, and the evening Networking Party. (Discounts are available for multiple delegate bookings)