Top global companies, logistics specialists at CIMC 2016

The Colombo International Maritime Conference (CIMC) has attracted global giants in logistics and specialists in the supply chain industry to address the 2016 sessions, which begins in Colombo on September 21 at Galadari Hotel. 

The CIMC will be held during the Sri Lanka Maritime Week and its contents go beyond maritime to cover logistics as the emerging opportunity using the Sri Lankan ports’ location advantage.
Organising committee Chairman Rohan Masakorala said that Sri Lanka aspires to go beyond the transshipment business. “We want boxes reworked and to invite international logistic giants to be present in Sri Lanka. This will enable our companies to set up regional distribution and value-adding service centres with international investments and joint ventures and expand into markets beyond the small domestic economy. Logistics is a capital-intensive industry and technology is playing a big role in the advancement of the sector. We want the local forwarding small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to build larger logistics companies by expanding to regional business, making Sri Lanka the focal point in South Asia.” 

Sri Lanka has its shipping and geographic advantage and a regional population that is expanding with greater disposable income. Therefore international and local companies can use the small island to enter into the profitable business of logistics. Asia is still considered an emerging region for logistic services. Most cargo is still controlled by shippers rather than professional companies involved in value addition and providing support services for the movement of goods across borders. As a result, some manufacturers and traders don’t adopt the best practices when international trade is done. Today, logistic costs can be expensive and lot of waste can take place if it is not 
properly managed. 

The CIMC conference throughout its two-day deliberations will have logistic-related topics, linked to the maritime industry and a focused session on logistics is also allocated to discuss technology, new ideas and innovations and the regional markets.

The session will be joined by globally renowned industry leaders led by FedEx Trade Networks President/CEO James R. Muhs, Unilever South Asia Director Logistics Ashish Joshi, SG Holdings Global Pte., Ltd Singapore Director Yoshifumi Matsubara, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics CEO Middle East, North Africa and South Asia Madhav Kurup, Arcadis Head of Transport and Logistics Asia, Jonathan Beard and Global Advisor WILAT and CILT Past Chairperson Dorothy Chan.