With its world-class programme, influential speakers, extensive exhibition and unrivalled participation, the World Maritime Forum 2026 is poised to set a new benchmark for global maritime gatherings.
Copenhagen is once again set to become the global hub of maritime innovation and dialogue when the World Maritime Forum convenes on 17–18 February 2026. The event will be staged at the AC Bella Sky Convention and Event Centre, Denmark’s largest venue of its kind, and is expected to be the forum’s most ambitious edition yet, held under the theme: “One event. World of maritime.”
The two-day gathering will unite more than 800 senior industry figures – including shipowners, ship managers, ports, service providers, technology firms, regulators, classification societies, government officials and policymakers – to tackle the sector’s most urgent challenges and explore its biggest opportunities.
At the heart of the 2026 programme is an impressive line-up of 12 high-level panel discussions, covering issues from decarbonisation and finance to digitalisation, AI and autonomous shipping:
- Scaling Maritime Decarbonisation: What’s Proven, What’s Still Experimental
- The Nuclear Option: Maritime’s Ultimate Game-Changer?
- Alternative Fuels & Bunkering Infrastructure: From Fuel Choices to Supply Chains
- The Invisible Enemy: Cyber Threats Sabotaging Global Fleets
- From Crew Crisis to a Sustainable Future: Welfare, Skills & Collaboration
- Innovation Meets Resistance: Cracking the Code of Shipowner Adoption — and Unlocking Real Fleet Solutions
- Decarbonisation Finance, Carbon Markets & Regulatory Mechanisms
- Beyond Compliance: Maritime ESG and the Social Licence to Operate
- The Digital Race: Front-Runners and Followers in Maritime Transformation
- Trusting the Machine: Artificial Intelligence in Safety, Efficiency, and Compliance
- The Wind Factor: Scalable Solution or Niche Technology?
- Autonomous Fleets: Who Will Be in Charge When No One’s on Board?
In addition, delegates will hear two exclusive one-to-one stage conversations: Visions 2040+: Maritime Futures in an Era of Radical Change and From Shadow Fleets to Open Conflict: The Geopolitics of Maritime Risk.
More than 50 exhibitors will showcase cutting-edge technologies and services, while presentations from pioneering companies will highlight breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, alternative fuels and advanced fleet solutions. Networking will be a central focus, with countless opportunities for collaboration and business development. Day one will conclude with a gala cocktail reception, offering a more informal setting for discussions to continue.