PEMA celebrates 10th anniversary at TOC Europe with new industry standard, Forum and Student Challenge

The Port Equipment Manufacturers Association (PEMA), celebrating its 10^th anniversary in 2014, takes part at the TOC Europe show in London from 24-26 June with a special programme of educational activities and events to mark the occasion, including its established PEMA Forum and the 2^nd PEMA Student Challenge.

Founded in 2004, PEMA provides a forum and public voice for the global port equipment and technology sectors. The Association has seen strong growth in recent years, and now has over 70 member companies representing all facets of the industry, including crane, equipment and component manufacturers; automation, software and technology providers; consultants and other experts. 

PEMA will be out in force at TOC Europe in London with its 10^th State of the Industry Forum on Port Equipment and Technology Forum, held from 11:40-13:10 on Wednesday 25 June. As in previous years, the Forum brings together key players from the world of port equipment and technology, plus members of the container terminal operator community, for lively, unscripted debate on current and future challenges. Companies taking part this year include Kalmar, TT Club, Konecranes, IDENTEC SOLUTIONS, Navis, Cavotec, Continental Tyres, Vahle, APS, ABB Crane Systems, Certus Port Automation, LASE and Moffatt & Nichol.

Under the theme “Making Sense of Scale: The Equipment and Technology Industry View,” the Forum’s first session will host three expert panels on technology, safety and the environment.

A second session will be held immediately afterwards, focusing on the new PEMA Standard on TOS-Equipment Control Interfaces. Being introduced at TOC Europe, PEMA’s TOS-Equipment Control Interface Standard is the result of two years of development work and proposes an open, standardised interface between terminal operating systems (TOS) and equipment control systems (ECS) for container handling equipment (CHE).  

Later on Wednesday, PEMA will host the final of its 2^nd Student Challenge from 16:00-18:00, an initiative to foster strong relations between the academic and business worlds, and give top students an opportunity to meet industry experts. This year, Blekinge Institute of Technology and the University of Hamburg will go head-to-head, with each team given 30 minutes to present their solution to this year’s theme “Optimising Landslide Container Traffic Flow and the Terminal Interchange” – to a judging panel. A judging panel will make their decision immediately after the presentations and the winners will be announced live on the day. The winning team receives a €1000 cash prize and trophy, with trophies for the runners-up.

This year’s judging panel will be comprised of three experts with various backgrounds in the ports equipment industry: David Huck, Port Director at Peel Ports Group, who heads up the company’s largest operating ports cluster; Gavin van Marle, Editor of The Loadstar and a consultant on the sea freight industry; and Tom Ward, a Senior Maritime Planner at Parsons Brinkerhoff and expert in the planning, analysis and design of seaport cargo facilities.

Attendees are also welcome to join PEMA at Stand C34 for drinks and canapés on Wednesday 13:10 to mark PEMA’s 10^th anniversary and the launch of the new standard.

“We want to say thank you to everyone who has supported PEMA’s growth over these last 10 years,” said Ottonel Popesco, President of PEMA. “We look forward to meeting industry colleagues, old and new, during TOC Europe this year.”

Entry to PEMA sessions is free of charge for visitors, exhibitors and delegates attending TOC Europe. For details of PEMA events at TOC Europe, visit: www.pema.org/pema-events. To register as a TOC attendee, visit www.tocevents-europe.com.