Exploring possible futures for Australia’s maritime sector.

📅 Friday 7 March 2025 📌 EES, Sydney Showground, NSW, Australia

Registration Closed

About the Session

MERC’s Discover Maritime Futures briefing session will cover maritime electrification for commercial operators, and the opportunities and challenges which it introduces to the maritime sector.

Held conveniently in Sydney, one of the world’s greatest natural harbours, Discover Maritime Futures is the ideal way to help your business find out more about what the Australian Government’s action plan is to tackle the decarbonisation of the maritime sector.

Key Features

The briefing session will be held at the Sydney Showground as part of the Everything Electric Show. Attendees will receive a free pass to the Everything Electric Show for the day (value $40), can attend the briefing session, then catch a public panel discussion around maritime electrification, and finally come to the networking drinks at the end of the day (sold out!).

Program

Session

Where

Time

Everything Electric Show Admission

The Dome & Exhibition Halls

10:00 - 17:00

Discover Maritime Futures

B2B Theatre

13:30 - 14:30

Can waterborne vessels and electrification really mix?

GIGA Theatre

15:00 - 15:30

Networking Drinks

B2B Theatre

17:30 - 19:00

Speakers

David Good - CEO, AIMEX, SYA, ACMG

David is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian International Marine Export Group (AIMEX), Superyacht Australia (SYA) and Australian Commercial Marine Group (ACMG). He is a graduate of the Royal Military College, Duntroon.

Previously David was Manager of Operations for the Far North Queensland Ports Corporation, overseeing key ports, including the port of Cairns, HMAS Cairns, and Australia’s largest superyacht marina, Cairns Marlin Marina. During this time, he was Deputy Chair of the Superyacht Group Great Barrier Reef and contributed to Superyacht Australia’s working groups on charter legislation and Great Barrier Reef superyacht anchorages.

Since joining AIMEX in July 2018, he has successfully negotiated the Special Recreational Vessel Act 2019 (Charter Laws for Foreign Superyachts) and focused strongly on regional cooperation within the South Pacific and Asia. David is a director on the International Superyacht Society (ISS) board.

Anthony Haworth - General Manager Business Growth & Development, SeaLink Marine and Tourism

Anthony led Captain Cook Cruises for 30 years, supporting its growth from a family business to a national and international operation. He has expertise in tourism and hospitality through business operations, delivering over a quarter of a million meals to more than two million passengers annually. His understanding of the marine industry is extensive - managing dozens of vessel design, funding, construction, and delivery projects.

Anthony has held Master and Engineer qualifications. He also has a deep knowledge of marine stakeholders, having been President of the NSW Commercial Vessels Association for more than a decade and a current member of the NSW Transport Ministers Maritime Advisory Council. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and now heads SeaLink's Business Development team.

Gustav Hasselskog - CEO, Candela (Introduction)

Liam Dowling - Innovations Lead, NetZero Maritime (Keynote)

Panelists

Gustav Hasselskog is a entrepreneur and mechanical engineer who is based out of Stockholm, Sweden. He studied mechanical engineering and business at various institutions, including the KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University.

In 2014, he founded Candela, a company that designs and manufactures electric foiling motorboats, Candela’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to fossil fuel-free lakes and oceans by developing electric vessels that outperform their fossil fuel-powered counterparts.

The Candela P-12 ferry has already entered service in Stockholm, and will soon be seen in the USA, Germany, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand.

Angus McDonald - CEO, Maritime Impulse

Liam started his career racing yachts in the early 1990’s before transitioning into the superyacht industry. His sea career was spent predominantly on ocean deliveries and in shipyards across the globe where he honed his skills as a project manager and owner’s representative for ultra-high-net-worth clients.

In 2009, Liam qualified as a marine surveyor and has since focused on consultancy and surveying until joining Fullers360 to head up their new build decarbonisation programme.

At NetZero Maritime Liam leads a specialist team of engineers and project managers delivering decarbonised vessel solutions.

Angus has always loved the ocean, and is passionate about advancing the sustainability of the maritime sector in Australia. As co-founder and CEO of Maritime Impulse he has helped launch MERC, the Maritime Emissions Reduction Coalition, to do just that.

He co-authored a research paper on decarbonising the Australian fishing industry, and contributed to a strategic analysis of innovations to promote the commercial and sustainability goals of the Pacific Islands tuna industry. The research he did into electrification, alternate fuels and sustainability advances for small and large commercial vessels have guided his approach to pragmatically improving sustainability.

He has consulted on strategy to large organisations and startups alike, and has managed SaaS products for two publicly listed Australian software companies.

📅 Friday 7 March 2025

📌 Everything Electric Show
Sydney Showground, NSW, Australia

MERC Participants Represented

Everything Electric Show NSW 2025 will include exhibits from a number of MERC participants.