This global reference conference in the field of maritime economics was organised by the UV Chair of Port Economics and the Port Authority of Valencia.
The International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) conference was held in Valencia from 25 to 28 June. This marked the first time that this prestigious event was held in Spain. The conference was jointly organised by the Universitat de València through the Chair of Port Economics (APV–UV), which is attached to the Institute of International Economics (IEI), and the Port Authority of Valencia.
The conference was attended by over 250 researchers and professionals from the sector, the majority of whom were international. This impressive level of participation contributed to a conference of high academic calibre, with plenary sessions that were both enriching and thought-provoking. Furthermore, the event facilitated extensive networking among members of the maritime-port sector from all over the world, thereby reinforcing IAME’s status as a global reference in the field of maritime economics.
One of the highlights of the event was the awards ceremony, which recognised excellence in maritime research. It is particularly noteworthy to mention the awards funded by the APV–UV Chair of Port Economics:
- Best Article on the Green Maritime Ecosystem Award: This prize was awarded to Seyedvahid Vakili Afni, Lindsay-Marie Armstrong, Damon A. H. Teagle, Stephen Turnock and Panos Manias for their article ‘Optimising life cycle cost of carbon capture and storage: Insights for shipping CO2 from the Solent region’.
- Best Article on the Maritime Ecosystem of Value to Society Award: This prize was awarded to Dong Yang, Lingye Zhang and Kee-hung Lai (Mike Lai) for their article ‘Shipping ecosystem: Concept and policy implications’.
- Best Article on the Smart Maritime Ecosystem Award: This prize was awarded to Gabriel Fuentes-Lezcano and Ziaul Haque Munim for their article ‘Predicting the Panama canal water times with integrated climate data’.
- Best Article Award at the Young Researchers Workshop: This prize was awarded to Zhao-Yu Song for his article ‘Performance evaluation of major world container ports in the post-pandemic era: The 6th generation ports model with smart ports’.
Other notable awards include:
- Best Article on Maritime Transport and Logistics Award: This prize was awarded to Pin Hsuan Lu and Dimitrios Theocharis for their article ‘Investigating the relationship between EEXI CII and VESSEL values in the oil tanker and dry bulk carrier sectors’, supported by IAME’s flagship journal, Maritime Economics & Logistics (MEL – Palgrave Macmillan).
- Best Article on Ports Award: This prize was awarded to Gustavo Andres Martinez Gordon, Wilmsmeier and Cristyn Meath for their article ‘Transparency and the role of reporting in energy consumption and GHG emissions in container terminals’, supported by IAME’s flagship journal, Maritime Economics & Logistics (MPM – Francis Group).
The successful conference demonstrated the crucial role of knowledge sharing in maritime economy and emphasised the necessity of international cooperation in order to address the challenges and opportunities facing the sector. The IAME 2024 Conference in Valencia was a flagship event, serving to foster academic excellence and professional growth within the global maritime community.
