08.00-08.55

Registration and Coffee in the Pre-Function Area sponsored by Noria

08.55-09.00

Welcome Address: Grant Attwell, Managing Director, Cannon Events

09.00-09.30

Opening Keynote: Update to Nordic Plan 2027

Presenters:

09.30-09.50

Presentation: Lessons From the Gulf

With any major event, lessons are inevitably learned and the Gulf conflict has proved no exception. In this panel discussion, we look at how the Gulf conflict has impacted the marine insurance market, ship owners and charterers and ask how it will impact the markets going forward.

Presenter: Anna Boyd, Associate Director, Economics and Country Risk, S&P Global

09.50-10.30

Panel: Marine Cyber and Navigation

The threat of zombie ships, spoofing, faking and hacking have all become so much easier thanks to technology and the ability of criminals to create new threats faster than the authorities can eradicate them. In this session, we analyse the growing threat from this type of activity and consider the options for both insurers and insureds.

Moderator: Alexander Bramwell, Partner, Hill Dickinson

Pannellists: Phil Ponsford, Managing Director, Astaara

Christian Benedictsen-Nislev, Partner, DLA Piper

Norma Cyber TBC

Morten Mjaaland, Cyber Underwriter, DNK

10.30-11.00

Coffee and Networking in Pre Function Area

11.00-11.30

Presentation: It’s a Complex World- Where next?

Even before the Gulf conflict, the world was an uncertain place with the Russia-Ukraine war rumbling on and with Trump’s moves everywhere from Venezuela to Greenland. In this session, we ask an analyst ‘where next’, as well as to explore the geopolitical trends of 2026 and identify potential pinch-points to watch for in the future.

Presenter: Graham Thomas, Partner, Herminius

11.30-11.50

Case Study: Working in the Dark (Fleet)

The Nordic region has become used to the challenges posed by the dark fleet, with numerous ships sailing through the area on a daily basis. In this case study, we reveal the difficulties faced by one P&I Club after a collision with a member vessel and a dark fleet ship.

Presenter: NorthStandard TBC

11.50-12.20

Presentation: 101 of FD&D

Freight, demurrage and defence (FD&D) is a key insurance for the Danish market. In this short explainer, we look at what the cover does and why it matters so much, including a look at ship operations and also at claims among other aspects.

Presenter: Stuart Kempson, Senior Lawyer, Gard

12.20-13.00

Live Debate: Could Leadership Lose Control in an App Driven World?

App developments have been racing along, even in the marine world. Now we have apps which will monitor crew behaviour, rewarding good decision-making. The question for this debate is whether such apps should be encouraged, or do they fundamentally deviate from focusing solely on the leadership and the Master.

Participants: Mads Poulsen, Partner, Loeven

13.00-13.05

Closing Remarks and End of Conference Day 1

13.05-14.00

Lunch and Networking Sponsored by

18.00-20.00

Marine Insurance Nordics Evening Drinks Reception Sponsored by Marine Masters (Venue TBC) All Delegates Welcome

08.00-08.55

Registration and Coffee in the Pre-Function Area sponsored by Noria

08.55-09.00

Welcome Address: Grant Attwell, Managing Director, Cannon Events

09.00- 09.40

Panel: What’s New for the Nordic Plan?

Every four years the Nordic Plan is refreshed and there will be changes implemented on January 1, 2027. In this session we take a look at the Nordic Plan and the impending changes. We will also compare it more generally with wordings available in London and discuss the advantages of the Nordic Plan.

Moderator: Christian Benedictsen-Nislev, Partner, DLA Piper

Pannellists:

09.40-10.20

Panel: State of the Market: Time to Brace for the Reinsurance Renewals?

Despite market discipline for the past few years, there were some small signs of a slight relaxation among marine insurers, however the past year may well have put paid to that. From the Baltimore Bridge claim to losses from the Middle East and potentially from the US hurricane season, there are lots of reasons for reinsurers to increase rates. In this discussion, we talk about the likelihood of rates rising once more.

Moderator:

Pannellists:

10.20-10.40

Fireside Chat: Putting the Brakes on the Dark Fleet

Sweden has started stopping dark fleet vessels in what is seen as an historic move in challenging Russia. However, many more vessels are escaping the net. In this session, we hear about the change in approach and what it has meant for local waters.

Participants: Mads Poulsen, Partner, Loeven

10.40-11.10

Coffee and Networking in Pre Function Area

11.10-11.50

Panel: Is the Marine War Risks Market Fit for Purpose?

At the start of the Gulf conflict, a number of vessels were seized while others were blocked and trapped. In this session, we delve into exactly how the war risks insurance played out, comparing the Nordic wordings to the London wordings. We also look at loss of hire and business interruption covers.

Moderator

Panellists: Anders Hovelsrud, Insurance Director, DNK

Nick Maddalena, Managing Director, Ambrey Global Specialty

Gareth Morrow, Senior Director ‑ Direct Marine, Miller Insurance

11.50-12.10

Presentation: Batteries: Putting out the Rubbish Comes with a Whole New Risk

The subject of electric vehicles and fires is well known and well debated, however, the industry is also facing the emerging risk of how to dispose of end-of-life batteries. With thousands of EVs coming to the end of their useful life, an urgent question for the marine sector is how to carry these batteries for safe disposal. This presentation will cover the scale of this new risk and how the maritime sector can plan ahead.

Presenter: Christoph Oetker, UK P&I Club

12.10-12.30

Presentation: Marine Cyber Insurance- Is the Buy Back Insurance Enough?

Challenging the perception that ship owners cyber risks are met by the market buy back solutions – an overview of where the cyber market has evolved from and why affirmative cyber solutions work, and looking at the typical cyber exclusions and financial impact of claims on owners balance sheet.

Presenter: Robert Dorey, Chief Executive Officer, Astaara

12.30-12.50

Presentation: Legal Brief: Shifting Focus from Winning Legal Arguments to Resolving Claims

This session directly challenges the status quo of classic maritime lawyering, exploring if today’s market demands a different approach to legal disputes. Lawyers are trained to win legal arguments, but a courtroom win loses its value if it brings no actual commercial benefit to the client. The presentation explores how maritime lawyers can bring far more value by using a proactive “claims-handling” mindset in classic litigation cases.

Presenter: Presenter: Ismail Aydin, Founding Partner, Aydin Lawyers

12.50-13-45

Lunch and Refreshments

13.45-14.40

Round Table Sessions

Engage in informal roundtable discussions post-lunch over a coffee. Each roundtable will run for 25 minutes. There will be a 5-minute break to allow delegates to change tables and the tables will then be repeated in a second 25-minute seating.

14.40-15.20

Panel: How to Manage Waste from Salved Vessels

As regulations shift and responsibilities increase, this session will look at the role of salvors in managing waste in the most ESG-compliant way. We consider managing the risk, for example of being unable to tow to the nearest port because of the rules around waste disposal using live examples. This is not just about the ship, but also about the cargoes.

Moderator

Panellists: Suzanne Byrne, Group Head of Claims, West of England P&I Club

T&T Salvage TBC

15.20-15.40

Coffee and Networking in Pre Function Area

15.40-16.20

Panel: Finding a Safe Haven Harder to do

Finding a port of refuge is increasingly difficult as the rules and regulations change and as port authorities become ever more nervous about accepting salved vessels and their cargoes. In this case study, we will explore a case in which the vessel is towed around the Gulf looking for a safe haven, all the while adding to the claims cost. The options include the expense of sailing through the Suez Canal or finding a local port willing to accommodate the vessel.

Moderator:

Panellists: Maurice Schreurs, Commercial Director, SMIT Salvage

Matthew Dow, Partner, Hill Dickinson

Are Solum, Vice President, Gard

Soren Thuen, Head of Fleet Safety, Maersk

16.20-16.40

This session explores the practical lessons from failure analysis of cargo holds damaged by seawater and cargo residues. It will examine how hold preparation between consignments directly affects surface integrity, and how poor preparation can be very expensive in the long-term.   Particular focus will be given to the risk of chloride contamination where seawater washdowns are not followed by fresh-water flushing. The presentation will also highlight how coating over contaminated steel can conceal corrosion beneath the paint, creating hidden deterioration and future loss.

Presenter: Philippa Moore, Seawater, Steel, and Hidden Damage, Hawkins

16.40-17.00

Presentation: Keeping on the Right Side of the Law…but Which law?

There is increasing dealignment between sanctions regimes, which is making it very difficult for industry and insurers. The crucial differences in regimes impacts everyone from claims handlers to the Clubs and the International Group, as well as owners and charterers. For example, if the Iranians were to establish a toll system for the Straits of Hormuz, how could anyone pay the tolls under the US and European sanction regimes?

Presenter: NorthStandard TBC

17.00-17.20

Presentation: The Small but Mighty Nurdles

Nurdles may be tiny, but their importance in marine claims is growing rapidly. The Clubs see the cost of claims escalating thanks to these small, but mighty pellets. In this case study, we take the example of a relatively small incident, but which results in nurdles escaping the vessel. They will be found across the Nordic region, resulting in large clean up costs and months, or even years of work.

Presenter: Simon Hodgkinson, Global Head of Loss Prevention, West

17.20-17.25

Closing Remarks and End of Conference

17.25-18.30

Drinks Reception