PEMA Autumn Meeting 2026 – Ravenna, Italy

The PEMA Autumn Meeting 2026 takes place on Tuesday 6th & Wednesday 7th October in Ravenna, Italy.

PEMA members and invited guests can expect a productive 2-day itinerary. The meeting will include member participation in an insightful local port tour, various technical committee workshops and panel discussions, an insight in invaluable industry knowledge from the industry’s expert speakers and guests, as well as other topics discussed over two working conference days. This conference’s opportunity to engage and network among other industry experts in their field, including invites to an arrival drinks reception, networking dinners with members from all over the world.

Meeting Schedule & Port Tour Information

🚢 Port of Ravenna Port Tour: Delegates & Passport Information Required

Please complete this essential port tour form here to secure your seat at the port.

See attendee list here. If you wish to go on the list, please submit your passport details above.

✍🏼 Event Attendance Survey

All attendees must complete event attendance survey. This is in addition to registering. It confirms your attendance to the Port of Ravenna port tour and other events.

📅 Schedule & Guest Speakers

For the official agenda, guest speakers and schedule of events due to take place at PEMA Autumn Meeting 2026 Ravenna, click here.

👥 List of Delegates Attending

To view the full delegate attendance list, click here.

Guest Speakers

Christian Schroeder is currently Chief Product Owner (CPO) at Siemens AG, where he leads the development of SINEC Security Guard—Siemens’ SaaS-based industrial cybersecurity solution focused on automated vulnerability management for operational technology environments.

In this role, he drives the product vision, oversees the end‑to‑end R&D strategy, and ensures that SINEC Security Guard advances Siemens’ broader mission to strengthen cybersecurity on the shop floor. Over more than 15 years at Siemens, Christian has held key roles across product management, engineering, and digital transformation. His earlier work as Senior Product Manager included driving innovation in software licensing platforms, cloud‑based industrial offerings, and scalable digital business models across Siemens’ industrial portfolio.

Prior to that, as a Systems Engineer, he focused on designing and integrating complex automation systems, gaining deep domain expertise in OT environments and customer operations—expertise that now informs his cybersecurity leadership.

As CEO of ICHCA International, Richard Steele is dedicated to improving the safety, productivity, sustainability and efficiency of cargo handling and movement worldwide. Richard is a safety and skills professional with a Masters in Training and Development who has been involved in the ports industry for over 20 years. Prior to his role at ICHCA International, Richard was the CEO at Port Skills and Safety for 11 years, leading out on the development of safety guidance and standards by producing qualification frameworks and sharing best practices for the industry.

ICHCA’s privileged NGO status enables it to represent its members, and the cargo handling industry at large, in front of national and international agencies and regulatory bodies, while its Technical Panel provides best practice advice and develops publications on a wide range of practical cargo handling issues.

As Technical Director of CMA Terminals Holding, Grégoire has a MSc in Marine Engineering and started his career in the Oil and Gas Industry. He joined the Port industry in 2004 as maintenance manager for Marseille Port Authority.

He then joined CMA CGM in 2008 as port equipment engineer and held several positions in Terminal Link and CMA Terminals including Technical Director at Malta Freeport Terminal. Grégoire now serves as the equipment technical director for CMA Terminal Holding and CMA CGM Inland Services since 2019, in charge of equipment and maintenance for operating terminals and depots as well as new projects.

James Groß has been a professor with the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science School of KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm since November 2012. He is associate director of KTH Digital Futures and a co-director of KTH’s competence centre on edge computing TECoSA.

His research interests are broadly in the area of mobile systems & networks, industrial automation and AI. Prior to joining KTH, he was assistant professor and head of the Mobile Network Performance Group at RWTH Aachen University from 2008 – 2012 as well as a member of the DFG-funded UMIC research centre of RWTH. James has published over 200 papers in international journals and conferences, and has been awarded over 20 Mio. USD in research grants. His work has been awarded many times, among them the best paper awards at ACM MSWiM 2015, the best paper award at IEEE WoWMoM 2009 and the best paper award at European Wireless 2009. Beyond his academic work, James was founder, CTO and board member of R3 Communications GmbH, a start-up in the area of wireless industrial communication systems. He currently works with Paul Vahle GmbH & Co. KG as technical advisor and council.

As Chief Executive Officer of Duisport, Markus Bangen studied law at the University of Bonn, specializing in Transport and European law, and began his professional career at Duisburger Hafen AG (Duisport) in 2000 after working as a lawyer. He has been a member of the Executive Board since 2008 and Chairman of the Executive Board since August 1, 2021.

For Duisport, he is active in various national and international expert groups and as a shareholder representative in various German and international terminal holdings – as Vice Chairman of the Board of the Railport joint venture terminal in Turkey. Mr. Bangen holds the following titles, among others: Chairman of the Terminal Advisory Group of the Rail Freight Corridor (RFC) Rhine-Alpine / Member of the Terminal Advisory Group RFC North Sea – Baltic / Chairman of the Advisory Board of the German Logistics Association (BVL) as well as Member of the Executive Committee of the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV).

Saverio Panico is a Country Manager at Bunge, which is a world leader in grain origination, storage, transportation, oilseed processing and specialty plant-based oils, fats and protein. The company works with farmers across the world and supplies a wide range of agricultural commodity products, essential in today’s world. In Italy, Bunge runs crushing, refining, bottling and biodiesel production sites in Porto Corsini, Ravenna, and operations across the key country ports.

Leveraging nearly 20 years of experience in agribusiness and commodity trading, Saverio Panico oversees Bunge’s business activities in Italy, from sourcing, to merchandising and distribution of key agricultural products and commodities, connecting farmers to consumers. His extensive experience in international trade, logistics and market dynamics provides a practical perspective on the opportunities and challenges shaping global commodity flows.

Book your accommodation

The event hotel for the Autumn Meeting is the stunning 5-star Hotel MarePineta. PEMA have secured a delegate rate for our members during the conference. Rooms under this special rate are limited, so click here to reserve your room. PEMA discount code: PEMA2026. 

Important notes for booking the room at Hotel MarePineta:

Select date(s) of stay and in the ‘enter discount code’ section enter PEMA2026. A booking confirmation will be sent to the email address provided during the booking process. Rates are as follows: €180 per night for a single room.

Other information

More information on the schedule, as well as expert guest speaker announcements coming soon. To kickstart the conference, join us at 18.30 on Monday 5 October for an arrival drinks reception sponsored by VAHLE at Marepineta Resort Terrace.

Dress code for evening meals and receptions:

• Monday 5 October | Arrival Drinks Reception – Casual
• Tuesday 6 October | Networking Dinner – Smart casual
• Wednesday 7 October | President’s Dinner – Smart casual
  

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Sponsors & Partners

PEMA 2026 Autumn Meeting Ravenna with thanks to its sponsorship partners and contributors:

MAC Port   www.macport.it 

Founded in Ravenna by Giordano Bilotti, Mac Port has grown from a family vision into one of Italy’s most trusted names in port and industrial machinery. Now in its third generation, the company operates as official Liebherr agent in Italy since 2009, offering sales, service, and repair of harbor cranes, offshore equipment, earthmoving machines, and material handling solutions. What has never changed across three generations is the philosophy Giordano built the company on: treat every client as a partner, not a transaction. At Mac Port, relationships come before contracts — and that family commitment is still felt in everything we do.

Tratos Cavi SpA   www.tratosgroup.com

Founded in 1966, Tratos is a family-owned international cable manufacturer specialising in the complete production of high-performance cables for the energy, telecommunications and industrial sectors. With seven manufacturing facilities across Europe and a presence in 56 countries, the company has built a global reputation for innovation and quality. Tratos is a recognised leader in dynamic cable technology through its TRATOSFLEX® range, engineered for demanding moving applications including ports, container terminals, mining and tunnelling. Designed for continuous reeling, TRATOSFLEX® cables deliver exceptional flexibility, durability and reliability, supporting major infrastructure projects around the world.

Dellner Bubenzer   www.dellnerbubenzer.com

DELLNER BUBENZER is a global leader in the design and manufacture of braking systems. The unrivalled braking equipment offers customized stop-action solutions for a wide variety of industries from sea to sky, and everything in between. Recognized worldwide for decades as innovative braking solutions that are precision engineered to meet the highest quality standards. Manufacturing a range of industrial brakes and brake related products like storm brakes (rail clamps and rail brakes, wheel brakes), monitoring systems, couplings, brake discs, hydraulic power units and safety systems to protect the steel structure of the machine against overload and snags.

VAHLE   www.vahle.com

Founded in 1912, VAHLE is a global leader in intelligent mobile energy and data transmission solutions for material handling and industrial applications. Headquartered in Kamen, Germany, the company employs around 1,000 people and operates through 13 subsidiaries and representatives in 52 countries worldwide. VAHLE delivers complete electrification solutions for port cranes, including STS and RTG systems, utilizing technologies such as conductor rails, cable reels, festoon and trench systems and advanced data communication. By integrating electrification, automation, and intelligent power management, VAHLE enables terminal operators to enhance efficiency, reliability, safety, and sustainability while supporting the transition to zero-emission port operations.

PEMA looks forward to welcoming our members and invited guests to Ravenna.