Europort Istanbul makes international comeback

From 23-25 October 2024 the international maritime exhibition Europort Istanbul celebrated its long awaited return to reconnect national and international shipping companies, shipbuilders, equipment & service suppliers. This 7th edition was held in the modern facilities of Yenikapi Expo Center on the European side of the Marmara Sea and hosted more than 400 exhibiting companies from 35 countries. During three exhibition days 5,734 maritime professionals passed through the doors; 84% of Turkish origin, with 52 countries represented by the remaining 16% of visitors.

The international vibe was also reflected by the various country pavilions from The Netherlands, Greece, China and Poland and by trade delegations from Romania and Iran, among others.

Mr. Christos Stampoulopoulos, 1st Counselor of the Hellenic Republic Consulate General in Istanbul expressed his appreciation. “This is an important event for Greek equipment suppliers and we are ready to support future editions”, he said. Mr. Christos Papakis, Executive Director of HEMEXPO, Hellenic Marine Equipment Manufacturers & Exporters added: “I am happy to see that so many of our members have joined Europort this year; the atmosphere was really great”.

Ms. Monika Kozakiewicz, President of Nauta Shiprepair Yard from Poland said: “Istanbul is a highly attractive market for us. In the past year our company has been involved in multiple Turkish projects with big renovations of Panamax ships and installations of Ballast Water Treatment Systems. During this exhibition we had many valuable meetings with ship owners and potential new customers.”

Turkish exhibitor NEMO Marin participated together with many of its international brands. Mr. Tarihmen, Managing Partner of NEMO Marin stated: “We came here with modest expectations but the exhibition turned out to be a great success for our company and our stakeholders”.

The Europort week kicked off on Tuesday evening 22nd of October during the SHIPROUTE Gala Dinner where more than 600 special invitees, shipowners and Europort exhibitors gathered in the luxury Divan Hotel in Kuruçeşme. This year, SHIPROUTE organizers KOSDER had chosen The Netherlands as its guest country. On this occasion the famous Dutch/Turkish singer Karsu gave an impressive performance live on stage. During the evening Ms. Annet Koster, Director of the Royal Dutch Ship Owners Association underlined the remarkable histories and contributions of Turkey and The Netherlands to the international shipping industry.

On the 2nd and 3rd day of the exhibition, Europort featured MariMatch, coordinated by the Enterprise Europe Network. This matchmaking event facilitated speed dates between national and international maritime participants aiming to boost innovation and establish new cross-border partnerships.

In order to provide easy access to the exhibition, a free sea shuttle service was arranged during all exhibition days. Many visitors from the nearby Yalova and Tuzla shipyard zones embarked on the Europort ferry boat allowing them to reach the exhibition in just 45 minutes.

Europort Istanbul is organized by Rotterdam Ahoy and Bonn Fairs. The next edition of Europort Istanbul is scheduled for 2026, with exact dates to be confirmed soon.

■ Contact: Europort Istanbul 2024 f.zoethoutmaar@ahoy.nl