Presentation at SMM Hamburg about privatisation of maritime security

On 5 September, I had the opportunity to give a short presentation during the Maritime Research Forum, hosted by the German Maritime Centre at SMM in Hamburg. SMM is the leading international maritime trade fair and my presentation covered the increasing privatisation of maritime security

The German Maritime Centre is a new initiative that was started only in 2017. It brings together government agencies, shipping companies, port operators and the shipbuilding industry. The Maritime Research Forum was one of the first events to highlight the links to different parts of the maritime industry.

In my own presentation, I provided an overview of the privatisation of maritime security over the past 15 years. Implications for governments, navies and other security agencies were also an important part, preceded by a definition of ‘maritime security’ which is currently not readily available in the academic literature. In short, the private sector can play an important role in the maritime domain of any country but there are questions about sovereignty and transparency when it comes to the protection of marine resources.

This area is a very current and interesting part of my academic research. For any more detailed questions, feel free to contact me via Twitter or the contact form on this website.