People Tech Maritime Bergen
Oct 22, 2026, Scandic Hotel

AGENDA OUTLINE​​​​​​

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08:00 Registration with welcome coffee

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09:30 Session - developing maritime LLM competency:

- is there a gap between what LLMs are able to achieve from shipping and what we are currently doing with them - and if so how do we cross it?

- what should shipping company IT managers and other maritime professionals know about LLMs, to achieve competency levels of awareness, tool selection, integration and leadership?

- what is working so far with maritime LLMs? - where might the industry ultimately get to in its use of LLMs?

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Chair: Alena Pedersen, VP Corporate IT, Odfjell

 

10:10 Keynote: How to use large language models in chartering

                 Martin Hjelle, Founder at VoyCalc, former CDO at Western Bulk

 

10:30 Break​​​​​​​

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11:00 Keynote: Challenges with integrating vessel performance data. 

                Carlos Gonzales, Research and Technology Manager, INTERTANKO​

- Lack of data standardisation, data silos, and limited inoperability

- Reporting burden of submitting similar data into different platforms

- INTERTANKO's work to achieve standardised data exchange with GHG benchmarking toolbox and more​

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11:20 How accurate weather data can help improve vessel performance

          Gunnar Prytz, Chief Technology Officer, Miros

- How performance assessments can be improved with accurate wave and speed through water data

- Using improved performance assessments to make better decisions about maintenance, coatings, energy saving devices

- Manage performance based contracts with greater confidence

   

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11:40 Session - improving vessel performance data quality and use

- Are there easier ways shipping companies can get robust data about ship performance, which can be used as a basis for decision making, without over-burdening the crew?

- data collection techniques, sensor data triangulation techniques, data analytics techniques - what are the bottlenecks

- improving crew engagement through providing better data about their vessel's performance

- Stories about how improved vessel performance data gathering led to improved results

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12:20 Lunch 

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13:30 Session - improving shipboard software quality and communications

- What factors would help get better quality software installed on shipboard computers?

- Can we move to an era where vessels access cloud software, including LLMs? 

- Can we improve satellite connectivity robustness to make this more possible?

- Is there a possible future with vessels using 'virtual machines' all managed remotely?

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Speaker: Lars Vaagen Solbakken, Managing Partner at Vaag & Venner, former CDO at DOF

 

13:40 Session - better ways to maintain cybersecurity

- How is the cybersecurity risk to shipping evolving?

- Are there better ways to identify and manage risks?

- Should more use be made of automated cybersecurity tools? 

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​14:20 Speaker from G2 Ocean​​

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15:30 Close 

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MOVING FORWARD WITH LLMS / AGENTIC SYSTEMS

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New topic for this event - how does the maritime industry move forward with agentic systems and what can it do?

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Debates about "what LLMs can do" in maritime often end in a rathole. The answer is something between "an enormous amount" and "not every much at all." They do a lot compared to the technology which went before, but may not deliver any direct value to a shipowner at a noticeable level. The idea of managers having a team of "agents" alongside their team of people is far-fetched.

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Yet, if we can describe a specific, narrow task we want done, which does not require much in the way of human judgement or common sense, a small language model (or agent) could be programmed to do it at reasonable expense, and we have complete control over it. This leads to the idea of agent "orchestration", a tool to run all these small language model based tools, which may be a large language model, drawing on its superior ability. 

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So we could have agents to check vessel performance data, agents to seek to fill in gaps, agents to support vessel performance decision making, which are all separate tools. 

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Shipping companies can make agents, commercial companies can make agents. Crew could have agents supporting navigation, engine maintenance, submitting performance data, getting answers from manuals and more.

 

Maritime software companies evolve to become providers of agents, Communications companies provide the data infrastructure. Hardware companies become software companies. is this where we are going? 

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OUR 2025 People Tech Maritime Bergen event

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Shipping company people attending our November 2025 Bergen event included Bergen Tankers, HSEQ & Vetting Manager; BW LNG, Application Manager; Exmar Shipping, Business Process Manager; Fjord1, Energy and Environmental Manager; Foundation Sailship Statsraad Lehmkuhl, Captain; G2 Ocean, Manager Infrastructure and Support Fleet, Vice President IT, Maritime Systems Manager; Gearbulk Norway AS, Business Analyst; Grieg Star, Project Manager Digital, VP Digital, Principal Engineer; Hansa Tankers, Digital Project Manager, Performance Analyst, Havforskningsinstiuttet, Marine Superintendent, Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Skipsrederi , IT Manager, Mercy Ships, Corporate Relations Officer, Navigator Gas, Head of IT, Norwegian Maritime Authority, Head of New Maritime Technology, Odfjell, VP Corporate IT, Manager Digital Applications, Application Support Consultant, Manager Electro & Automation, Enterprise Architect, OSM Thome, Senior IT Manager, IT Manager, PeakCSL Group, Project Manager Digitalization, Rederiet Stenersen AS, IT & Application Manager, Saga Welco AS, Director Fleet Management & Strategic Planning, SVP Operations; Sea-Cargo, Digital Manager, Software Developer; Seatank Chartering, ICT & Cyber security. Chief Data Officer; Skarv Shipping, Head of Digital and Performance; Spar Shipping AS, S&P and Projects; Stolt Tankers, Product Owner; Utkilen AS, Quality & Sustainability Manager,  IT Operations Manager; Utkilen Management, Chief Digitalization Officer; Wilson Management AS, IT Manager

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See the report from our Oct 2025 Bergen event here

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See agenda, video and slides from our Oct 2025 event here 

 

Speaker enquiries: Vaida Berkecz, event producer - vaida@peopletechmaritime.com​​

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Sponsor enquiries: Karl jeffery, director, People Tech Maritime, jeffery@d-e-j.com