XXVII EUROMED CONVENTION — FROM LAND TO SEA
THIRD PANEL CONCLUDED
AUTOMOTIVE SEABORNE TRADE: A CHALLENGING WORLD
The Car Carrier and Ro-Ro sector, i.e. the maritime transport of vehicles, is undergoing a profound transformation as a result of the changes facing the automotive industry and the global logistics chain as a whole.
Transporting vehicles by sea has never been more strategic — and, at the same time, more complex. As the automotive industry moves towards electrification, with new players entering the market, maritime transport is experiencing a pivotal moment in which adapting to new safety standards, navigating highly volatile markets and responding to constantly evolving demand have become essential.
The discussion highlighted three strategic factors that are reshaping the Car Carrier and Ro-Ro sector:
The reconfiguration of trade flows and vessel capacity, driven by the rise of new vehicle-producing and exporting markets, especially from South East Asia, which is reshaping traditional shipping routes;
Safety and new propulsion technologies, with operational challenges related to the transportation of electric vehicles, the handling of new lithium batteries and regulations aimed at decarbonising fleets;
The resilience of the logistics chain, with the goal of integrating maritime transport, port terminals and inland connections to ensure timely deliveries in an increasingly interconnected global market.
The strategic, technological and operational solutions being developed by industry players to shape the automotive logistics of the future were discussed by Le Anh Thien Thu (Director of Global Logistics, VinFast), Frank Schnelle (Executive Director, ECG), Alessandro Furnò (Vice President, Global Supply Chain & Purchasing, Leapmotor International), and Luigi Pacella Grimaldi (Automotive Intercontinental Director, Grimaldi Group).
Photos available at the following link: https://grimaldi.boolebox.com/app/index.html?obj=9849A03E7726F0A814D268129B7D5CB45938D5C75B61B06AF58D4C2F7BBFC4A5
The Grimaldi Group, headquartered in Naples, operates a fleet of over 130 vessels and employs approximately 21,000 people. Wholly owned by the Grimaldi family, it is a multinational logistics Group specialized in the operation of roll-on/roll-off vessels, car carriers and ferries. It comprises seven shipping companies, namely: Grimaldi Deep Sea, operating in the transport of rolling cargo and containers on the Atlantic routes and between the Mediterranean and West Africa; Grimaldi Euromed, specialists in the transport of rolling freight in Europe, in the Motorways of the Sea and in passenger transport in the Mediterranean with the Grimaldi Lines brand; Atlantic Container Line, which offers transport services for containers and rolling cargo between North America and Northern Europe; Malta Motorways of the Sea, whose vessels connect Malta to the main ports in the Mediterranean; Minoan Lines, operating in Greek cabotage for the transport of freight and passengers; Finnlines, carrying freight and passengers in the North and Baltic Sea; and Trasmed GLE, active in the transport of freight and passengers between mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands.
These maritime connections are the core of an advanced logistics chain, which includes port terminals and road transport companies. The 20-plus ports and terminals owned/operated by the Grimaldi Group are located in 13 countries: Italy, Spain, Greece, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Belgium, Egypt, Cameroon, Nigeria and Benin. Most of these terminals are fitted with Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) facilities, warehouses and workshops.
