MERC Asia-Pacific has secured a leading international authority on maritime battery technology to deliver the keynote address at its upcoming Discover Maritime Futures 2026 conference in Sydney.
Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker, Managing Director of the Maritime Battery Forum, will travel from the Netherlands to address the half-day industry conference at Sydney Showground on Friday, 18 September.
Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker, Managing Director of the Maritime Battery Forum
Held alongside Everything Electric Sydney, the conference will examine how the continued development and adoption of maritime electrification will affect vessel design, supporting infrastructure and the people responsible for operating and maintaining the next generation of boats.
Hoedemaker’s keynote will provide delegates with an international perspective on the latest developments in marine electrification and maritime battery technology. The presentation will examine where the market currently stands, how the next phase of growth may unfold and how marine businesses should prepare as battery technologies mature and expectations surrounding lower-emission operations continue to evolve.
The Maritime Battery Forum was established in 2014 to promote efficient energy-storage technologies, encourage battery-based value creation and accelerate the adoption of greener maritime solutions. Its international community brings together companies and organisations involved in vessel operations, battery manufacturing, system integration, maritime infrastructure, research and technology development.
The conference will also represent the first major collaboration between MERC and the Maritime Battery Forum since establishing a partnership intended to strengthen industry knowledge sharing and advance maritime transport electrification across the Asia-Pacific region.
Following the keynote, three expert panels will consider the practical implications of electrification across the industry.
The Future Boats panel will focus on vessel design and the technologies likely to influence future recreational and commercial craft. Future Wharves will examine the marine infrastructure, shore power and charging systems required to support increasingly electrified fleets. Future Crew will explore the training, recruitment and operational capabilities businesses will need as electrical propulsion and energy-storage systems become more widely adopted.
Registration will open at 8am, with the formal program beginning at 8.30am. The conference will conclude at 12.30pm, followed by a networking lunch in the Marine Pavilion at Everything Electric Sydney.
Earlybird tickets are available for $195 including GST until 31 July, after which general admission will be $275. Registration also includes entry to Everything Electric Sydney for the day.
About MERC
MERC Asia-Pacific Ltd (MERC) is a not-for-profit established to promote maritime decarbonisation and sustainability. MERC’s purpose is to promote progress in the maritime sector towards enhancing the natural environment by firstly, adopting, and secondly, pursuing, Real Zero and Nature Positive goals, achieving this by acting as the orchestrator of a regional innovation ecosystem focused on these goals. MERC has 38 participating organisations from across the industry and is continually adding more members.
MERC Website: HERE
Event Website: HERE
About Maritime Battery Forum
The Maritime Battery Forum (MBF) was founded with the aim of promoting new and efficient energy storage technologies in the maritime industry. With over 90 members in 3 continents, the MBF works to disseminate information, facilitate discussion about and review new technology which is complementary to battery technology-based solutions or in one way or the other play an important role towards a zero-emission vision.
MBF website: HERE
