Australian Commercial Marine Conference returns with record attendance and renewed industry focus

Australian Commercial Marine Conference © AIMEX

The second annual Australian Commercial Marine Conference, hosted by the Australian Commercial Marine Group (ACMG), returned by popular industry demand in Sydney on Thursday, 31 July 2025, aboard the SeaLink M/V Starship Sydney.

This year's Conference saw a notable increase in participation, with 107 representatives in attendance. The diverse delegate mix included ferry and tourism vessel operators, marine tech specialists, naval architects, vessel designers, shipbuilders and component suppliers highlighting strong and growing industry-wide engagement in this key event on the commercial marine industry calendar.

Delivering valuable insights to delegates, the Conference featured a diverse range of session formats with expert speaker presentations and interactive Q&As, whilst delivering valuable domestic economic insights, marine infrastructure updates, workforce retention challenges and future industry directions. It also explored international opportunities, while providing strong networking opportunities focused on idea exchange and informed decision-making.

Nick Lester, General Manager of SeaLink Marine and Tourism and Chairperson of ACMG, opened the conference by acknowledging its impressive growth with a strong increase in attendance from its first year. Created in response to the need for industry-wide collaboration to address nationwide challenges, in his opening remarks Nick encouraged delegates to take full advantage of the day to network, exchange ideas and build relationships to support future business growth.

As the first speaker of the day, Peter Munckton, Chief Economist at Bank of Queensland and one of Australia's most respected economic commentators, provided an expert overview delivering valuable insights into both current and long-term economic issues facing the Australian economy, with a particular focus on consumer trends and interest rates.

Ashley Page, CEO of AEC Group, followed with a progress update on the Australian Commercial Marine Economic Impact Study (EIS), commissioned by ACMG. He outlined the study's focus and relevance to the commercial sector, emphasising the importance of industry data in enabling associations like ACMG to strengthen their voice in building government engagement whilst consolidating advocacy and future funding initiatives. The report is currently in the data collection phase and will move into economic modelling before being released to industry later this year.

Simone Coombes, Director of East Coast Marine Centre, discussed the immense opportunities and challenges involved in developing a commercial shipyard in the Shoalhaven region of NSW, a facility she endeavours will fill a critical gap in Australia's marine infrastructure. With deep and direct ocean access and proximity to Romeo 45, Simone announced that the facility is open for business ahead of its lift installation, demonstrating how current operations are being supported through the use of roller bags.

Representing Colmslie Wharves in Brisbane, Brett Bolton, followed with an update on the marine infrastructure developments on the Brisbane River, Queensland. He highlighted the strategic importance of revitalising and expanding infrastructure in the lead-up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, ensuring the region is equipped to support the increased commercial marine activity both during the Olympics and for the long-term growth of Brisbane's marine sector.

In a following session embracing future planning, Kristina Agustin, Founder of Southern Sky AI, explored how Australian commercial marine businesses can adopt artificial intelligence securely, strategically and successfully. Her presentation demystified AI and its core capabilities, from natural language processing and computer vision to robotics and agentic AI, highlighting how these technologies are already being applied in the maritime sector. Kristina offered practical insights on how to build strong digital foundations and how to lead cultural change, whilst equipping industry professionals to navigate the path to AI adoption with clarity and confidence.

Addressing the ongoing national shortage of qualified marine personnel, Greg Newby, Director of Sydney Maritime Institute explored issues facing domestic commercial operators, owners, Captains, vessel suppliers and manufacturers. The discussion sparked strong engagement from delegates, who shared a unanimous concern around hiring and retention. He then shared insights into a training program designed by the Sydney Maritime Institute to improve staff retention by supporting deckhands with structured qualifications and development over a two-year period utilising government subsidised traineeships.

Visiting from Singapore, Arthur Fraccaro, Business Development Manager at AIRCAT Vessels, introduced delegates to cutting-edge Surface Effect Ship technology. He provided an overview of the advanced systems that underpin the technology to enhance speed, comfort and safety as high-performance solution for passenger transport across a range of sectors, including oil and gas, offshore wind, public ferry services, military applications and yachting.

Reflecting on his experience at the conference, Arthur Fraccaro commented; "We were delighted to take part in the ACMG conference, an event that perfectly reflects our commitment to maritime innovation and our ambition to meet the evolving challenges of professional marine transport."

Also attending the Conference was Mark Lane, Australia and New Zealand Sales Manager for SEA AI, whose AI-powered maritime safety solutions are integrated into AIRCAT Vessels. He commented; "The Australian Commercial Marine Conference proved to be a standout event for the industry. It brought together the right people, facilitated meaningful conversations and showcased a strong commitment to innovation. For SEA AI, it was an invaluable opportunity to connect with partners, present our latest technologies and contribute to important discussions shaping the future of commercial marine in Australia".

In a collaborative presentation offering insights into the U.S. marine market, Madeleine Simpson, Global Markets Representative from the U.S. Commercial Service and Duncan Archibald, Business Development Manager from the SelectUSA Program, detailed support available for Australian companies looking to expand into the United States. Madeleine offered an update on the current landscape of the U.S. marine sector and outlined opportunities for supported engagement through trade promotion programs such as the International WorkBoat Show.

Duncan continued with a clear overview of how the U.S. Federal Government supports Australian companies looking to expand into the U.S. market. His presentation outlined four key areas of support - including customised market research, introductions to state-based economic development offices, access to other federal agencies through a concierge service and participation in the annual SelectUSA Summit in Washington DC.

The newly introduced exhibition area was a standout feature of this year's conference, offering delegates the opportunity to engage face to face with exhibitors during conference breaks to gain insights into the latest technologies, services and innovations shaping the commercial marine sector. Exhibitors included Control Point Rescue, Logix Consulting, Marine Air Flow International, Nebo Global, Quality Marine Clothing, Scania, Spear Green Design, and TideTech Marine Data.

Nigel Ellsmore, Chief Operating Operator from NRMA Marine attended the conference and commented; "What a great event in a great location, with diverse and informative presenters discussing topics relative to the future of the Marine industry. This is a must attend conference for anyone involved the commercial marine industry within Australia."

This was supported by Tommy Ericson, Director of Aus Ships Group who commented; "The ACMG Marine Conference offers valuable insights from industry peers on current challenges, innovative approaches and future opportunities. A must-attend for the latest updates across design, construction, operations and training in the commercial marine sector."

The conference continued into the evening with the annual Members Networking Drinks, drawing strong attendance from the day's conference delegates as well as members from Superyacht Australia and the Australian International Marine Export Group, providing valuable opportunities for cross-industry interaction.

David Good, CEO, ACMG commented "Australia's commercial marine industry is so successful with world leading designers, shipbuilders, component manufacturers and operators. It is important that this industry has an opportunity to collaborate and share ideas during this conference. It is now a fixture on the calendar for the commercial marine industry."

ACMG extends our gratitude to our Major Partner, Conference Partners and Exhibitors at the Australian Commercial Marine Conference.