Movers and shakers talk shipping supply chain future

These important topics will be discussed at the March 31 seminar at the Le Meridien Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, organised by SBG Ho Chi Minh City and supported by ZIM shipping line as its main sponsor, as well as other major industry players. They will discuss topics relevant to the Vietnamese market, as well as their global relevance and impact.

Topics will include just-in-case logistics, as opposed to traditional just-in-time logistics, and how this is relevant to creating contingencies in the supply chain since the traditional lean method is confronted with disruptions in the global supply chain. Just-in-case logistics is oriented towards forward-thinking and planning, potentially eliminating issues before they arise.

Vietnam is continuously expanding its industrial and economic base, and the demand for shipping and logistics services will continue to grow as well. This is further supported by several favourable, multilateral, and regional trade agreements.

Vietnamese port capacity will need to continue to expand in order to meet growing demand as well as be equipped to handle modern large container vessels. The demand for deep sea container terminal in Cai Mep and Haiphong - Lach Huyen will continue to grow as shipping lines seek to call directly with larger vessels that are becoming more prevalent along international shipping routes.

Gemalink terminal in Cai Mep is the most recently built terminal. Along with its deep alongside draft, it is equipped with modern ship to shore cranes capable of handling these very large vessels.

Saigon Newport’s HICT terminal in Lach Huyen is the first deep-sea terminal in northern Vietnam, capable of serving the key East-West trade routes directly in an increasingly important market. More capacity will be added in the near future, as phase 2 development has commenced by a consortium led by the Haiphong port, while phase 3 is in the planning stages.

Beyond ports, connectivity is a key factor in the overall supply chain. It is just as important for stakeholders to continue to invest and expand in connectivity infrastructure such as roads, waterway systems (inland container depots, barges) and rail, not just within the major hubs but in other coastal provinces and the hinterlands.

Sustainability - an area of increasing importance in the global community - is particularly relevant with wide ranging implications for the maritime and logistics industries given its scale in energy use.

The critical need calls for immediate and significant solutions, including emission controls in road vehicles, balancing the intermodal mix, renewable energy adoption in warehousing and distribution facilities, clean fuels and cold ironing in ships and other sustainability measures across all sectors.

As logistics and shipping becomes more entrenched in the digital space, there will be a greater need for cyber security solutions. The maritime and logistics industries are facing unprecedented levels of business disruptions, and increasingly burdened with huge costs of billions of US dollars, from growing incidences of cyber-attacks all over the world.

Keen awareness of the problem as well as contingency and recovery solutions are as critically important as preventive measures, given the level of sophistication of cyber-attacks confronting all types of companies today, not just major corporations. A leading expert from Israel will be sharing valuable perspectives and recommendations at the seminar to help raise awareness among shipping, ports and logistics companies operating in Vietnam.

The Ho Chi Minh City chapter of the Singapore Business Group is a non-profit organisation established in 1992 by a small group of Singaporeans doing business in Vietnam.

Since then, it has evolved from a social club with a membership of 30 individuals into a premier business group with membership strength of more than 350 members and growing.

Its mission is to actively foster business relations with other business communities whilst promoting social, cultural, recreational, educational, and charitable activities.