We are delighted to report the highly successful conclusion of the 2nd CSN Northern European Crewing Conference, which took place on the 22nd of September at the Hotel Hafen Hamburg. The event brought together leading shipowners, shipmanagers, and maritime professionals for a day of engaging dialogue on the realities facing our seafarers today.

As the industry evolves, our focus remained firmly on our theme of “Crewing 5.0: Bridging the Gap Between Digital Efficiency and Human Reliability”, balancing rapid technological advancement with the critical need for crew welfare.

The day commenced with a welcome note from Adonis Violaris, Managing Director of CSN, setting the tone for an open and collaborative forum. We were honoured to have Marko Saul, Chief Executive Officer and Co Founder of Crewpoint Travel, serve as the Chairman of the conference. In his welcoming remarks, Marko perfectly framed the day ahead, emphasising that digital transformation in maritime logistics must ultimately serve to enhance human reliability and wellbeing.

This was followed by a formal Welcome Address from Constantinos Vasiliou, Marine Surveyor and Consul General of the Republic of Cyprus in Hamburg. Holger Jäde, Advisor on Recruiting and Training at VDR, then delivered a compelling Keynote Speech, laying out the foundational challenges and opportunities in sourcing modern maritime talent.

Session 1: Talent Sourcing and The Realities of Deployment

Our Conference Chairman, Marko Saul, took the stage for an insightful presentation titled “End of the Tradeoff: How AI Finally Bridges Crew Travel’s Oldest Divide.” Marko articulated how operators no longer have to choose between cost efficiency and crew welfare, showcasing how modern tools can navigate complex global travel logistics smoothly.

This led perfectly into our first panel discussion, “Technology in the Driver’s Seat: Rethinking the Last Mile of Crew Change.” Expertly moderated by Toomas Koost, Chief Operating Officer and Co Founder of Crewpoint Travel, the session deliberately avoided formal presentations in favour of a highly fluid, dynamic conversation. The panel featured Norman Schmiedl of Columbia Blue, Alan Croft of ISWAN, Andreas Papachristophorou, and Angelos Samolis of Giovanti Travel.

The conversation tackled the realities of the “last mile” of crew travel. Panellists debated what has genuinely changed over the last twenty years, noting that while planning, rostering, and payroll are heavily digitised, the final leg of getting a seafarer onto a ship remains complex and fragile. A key focus was on what happens when plans break, such as when a vessel’s ETA or port changes while a seafarer is already in transit. The panel explored exactly who is in the driver’s seat during those critical hours and the true cost of a missed connection, not just financially, but in terms of the disruption caused on board. Finally, the discussion turned to artificial intelligence, evaluating what is real today in production versus what is still a promise, and establishing the exact points where human judgement must remain firmly in the loop to support decision making on the travel desk.

Session 2: The Human Core, Mental Health and High Performance

After a networking coffee break generously sponsored by Columbia Group, the agenda shifted to the very core of our industry: the physical and mental health of our seafarers.

Valentina Gigante, Shipboard Psychologist at Corsica Ferries, delivered a powerful presentation on human reliability, explaining why high tech solutions desperately need a high touch approach for the future of maritime safety. Alexandra Kaloulis, Managing Director of IMEQ Centre, followed with a deep dive into managing psychosocial risk under TMSA Element 14, challenging the audience to move beyond the simplistic concept of “human error.”

These presentations laid the groundwork for our highly anticipated second panel, “The Human Element: Mental Health, High Performance and the AI Revolution in Crew Sourcing.” Moderated brilliantly by Gudmundur Ebenezer, CEO of Lifekeys AS, the session fostered an authentic exchange among Valentina Gigante, Alexandra Kaloulis, Capt. Özgür Alemdağ of Maritime Trainer, Holger Jäde of VDR, and Silke Lehmköster of Hapag Lloyd.

The panel dissected the relationship between the individual and the system. They explored critical factors such as workload, leadership, team stability, and communication, raising the vital question of whether the industry focuses too much on making the individual seafarer more resilient when it should be actively improving the working conditions around them. The group defined what sustainable high performance actually means for someone working at sea over extended periods, touching upon recovery, judgement, and competence. Finally, they addressed the intersection of AI and the human element, debating where technology can genuinely reduce administrative workload and improve wellbeing, while cautioning against the risks of overdependence and the loss of essential human skills.

Session 3: The Regulatory Landscape and The Human Core

Following a lunch sponsored by Maritime Trainer, the afternoon sessions focused on the regulatory frameworks governing crew welfare.

Eva Rodriguez, Group Director of Marine Workforce Development at Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, presented on RightShip’s RISQ and Crew Welfare Self Assessment, explaining how these act as a regulatory shield. Elias Constantinou, COO of Acheon Akti Navigation, followed with a stark look at the commercial realities, discussing the rising costs of health and P&I crew claims.

This perfectly set up our final panel of the day, “Safeguarding the Crew: Integrating RightShip RISQ with P&I Health Claims Strategy.” Moderated by Capt. Eugen Adami, Managing Director of Mastermind Shipmanagement, the panel featured Capt. Manish Verma of Acheon Akti Navigation, Steve Yandell of the ITF, Eva Rodriguez of BSM, and Thomas Boddy of the International Chamber of Shipping.

The panel confronted the intersection of crew welfare, regulatory compliance, and commercial realities. They debated whether industry led standards like RightShip RISQ are translating into better living and working conditions, or if they risk creating a confusing double layer of regulation and becoming just another administrative hurdle for the Master. The conversation highlighted the critical importance of immediate shore side medical support in preventing minor incidents from escalating into major P&I claims. Panellists also discussed the challenges of establishing reliable pre employment medical screening facilities in emerging markets, and fundamentally challenged the industry to treat the root causes of mental fatigue rather than simply treating the symptoms. A recurring theme was the immense pressure placed on the Master to act simultaneously as a welfare officer, compliance manager, and medical first responder, and how the shore side needs to step up to alleviate this burden.

Closing Remarks

The conference drew to a close with final remarks from our Chairman, Marko Saul, who beautifully summarised the day’s insights. Following a final thank you to our delegates, speakers, and sponsors from Adonis Violaris, attendees enjoyed a networking cocktail reception to relax and continue their discussions.

The conversations in Hamburg proved that while shipping is fully embracing digitalisation, the welfare and efficient movement of our people remain our absolute priority. We look forward to continuing this vital dialogue at our upcoming events, including our debut CSN London Maritime Forum this October.

For those who wish to revisit the insightful presentations, panel discussions and photos, these can be found under the conference website: https://cyprusshippingevents.com/2nd-csn-northern-european-crewing-conference/

The full video recordings of the conference sessions can be found below:

YouTube Videos

• 2nd CSN Northern European Crewing Conference, Note from the organisers and Welcome from the chairman of the conference Adonis Violaris, Managing Director, CSN Marko Saul, Chief Executive Office and Co Founder, Crewpoint Travel https://youtu.be/p2NkPU-mtWo
• 2nd CSN Northern European Crewing Conference, Welcome Address Constantinos Vasiliou, Marine Surveyor and Consul General, Consulate General of the Republic of Cyprus in Hamburg https://youtu.be/brgBuax7QHo
• 2nd CSN Northern European Crewing Conference, Keynote Speech Holger Jäde, Advisor on Recruiting and Train, VDRhttps://youtu.be/lfOdzXPxmdg
• 2nd CSN Northern European Crewing Conference, End of the Tradeoff: How AI Finally Bridges Crew Travel’s Oldest Divide Marko Saul, Chief Executive Office and Co Founder, Crewpoint Travel https://youtu.be/LyDbWwPkr8o
• 2nd CSN Northern European Crewing Conference, Panel discussion: Technology in the Driver’s Seat: Rethinking the Last Mile of Crew Change Moderator: Toomas Koost, Chief Operating Officer and Co Founder, Crewpoint Travel Panellists: Norman Schmiedl, Alan Croft, Andreas Papachristophorou, Angelos Samolis https://youtu.be/6ANWwi2W4Mk
• 2nd CSN Northern European Crewing Conference, Human Reliability: Beyond the Data. Why High Tech Needs High Touch in the Future of Maritime Safety Valentina Gigante, Shipboard Psychologist, Human Factors and HR, Corsica Ferries https://youtu.be/cOFVzLKmh0w
• 2nd CSN Northern European Crewing Conference, Beyond Human Error: Managing Psychosocial Risk under TMSA Element 14 Alexandra Kaloulis, Managing Director, IMEQ Centre https://youtu.be/lqB4tZpt9EY
• 2nd CSN Northern European Crewing Conference, Panel discussion: The Human Element: Mental Health, High Performance and the AI Revolution in Crew Sourcing Moderator: Gudmundur Ebenezer, CEO, Lifekeys AS Panellists: Valentina Gigante, Alexandra Kaloulis, Capt. Özgür Alemdağ, Holger Jäde, Silke Lehmköster https://youtu.be/LmmG-GL_cbM
• 2nd CSN Northern European Crewing Conference, The Regulatory Shield, RightShip’s RISQ and Crew Welfare Self Assessment Eva Rodriguez, Group Director, Marine Workforce Development, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagementhttps://youtu.be/9faMI0JdHhU
• 2nd CSN Northern European Crewing Conference, The Cost of Health and P&I Crew Claims Elias Constantinou, COO, Acheon Akti Navigation https://youtu.be/nviUeQvW0_s
• 2nd CSN Northern European Crewing Conference, Panel discussion: Safeguarding the Crew: Integrating RightShip RISQ with P&I Health Claims Strategy Moderator: Capt. Eugen Adami, Managing Director, Mastermind Shipmanagement Panellists: Capt. Manish Verma, Steve Yandell, Eva Rodriguez, Thomas Boddy https://youtu.be/cTa7X-FLXeM
• 2nd CSN Northern European Crewing Conference, Closing remarks from the chairman of the conference and Thank you from the organisers Marko Saul, Chief Executive Office and Co Founder, Crewpoint Travel Adonis Violaris, Managing Director, CSN https://youtu.be/uCEAlIr4fEw