Maritime Fair 2026 at Aboa Mare Highlights Future Careers and Industry Challenges

The Maritime Fair 2026 will take place on 29–30 October at Aboa Mare in Turku, Finland. The event brings together maritime professionals, shipping companies, authorities, manufacturers, service providers, instructors, and students under one roof. The event offers excellent opportunities for networking and gaining insights into the latest developments in the maritime industry.

Visitors will have the opportunity to meet industry leaders and explore business and collaboration opportunities. Around 60 exhibitors are expected to attend, including most of Finland’s shipping companies. As many exhibitors will be represented by HR and crewing personnel, maritime students will have an excellent opportunity to explore career prospects with potential employers.

The Maritime Fair was last held in 2024, when there was not enough exhibition space to accommodate all interested exhibitors. As a result, the exhibition area has been expanded for this year’s event. Visitors can discover the latest developments in the maritime sector through networking with exhibitors on the second floor and by attending panel discussions and presentations as part of the seminar programme on the ground floor.

The two seminar days will feature current topics and inspiring speakers from across the industry. The theme of the first seminar day, Students and Career Pathways, highlights the wide range of career opportunities within the international maritime sector. Among the speakers, Yasara Chandraratne talks about career opportunities in the international yachting industry and offers practical advice on how to enter the field.

The second seminar day, Industry and Exhibitor Day, focuses on innovation, digitalization, smart ports, sustainability, and current challenges facing global shipping.

New this year is Speed Networking, creating opportunities for efficient and meaningful meetings between exhibiting organizations and students.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to join guided tours of Aboa Mare’s simulator department and experience the latest maritime simulation technology. Aboa Mare has introduced a new Kongsberg engine room simulator featuring a complete fuel system for methanol and battery-powered hybrid solutions. The bridge simulators have also been renewed.

The first seminar day, Students & Career Pathways, focuses on new career opportunities, student engagement, and the many routes available for young talents to enter and develop within the maritime industry. The day will be hosted by Tara Kylén and Jonas Långström.

”For me, the fair is very much about bringing employers and future employees closer together. It is important that students dare to make contact, introduce themselves, and show who they are, while the industry gets the opportunity to see the competence and potential among the seafarers of tomorrow. Many students are both interested and highly motivated but do not always get the opportunity to demonstrate what they can do,” says Jonas Långström, an alumnus of Novia University of Applied Sciences’ Maritime Management, Captain programme.

Tara Kylén is a third-year sea captain student at Novia UAS.

“In my opinion, it is important to make it clear to students that this day is for them. It is an opportunity for students to gain a better understanding of how large and diverse the maritime industry is, while also giving them the chance to meet and talk to representatives from different parts of the industry,” she says.

Ports are complex and time-critical operating environments where port authorities, ferry operators, stevedoring companies, traffic management, safety and security actors, service partners and passengers all depend on the same operational flow.

In their presentation, “Controlling Complex Port Operations: Lessons from Ferry Terminal Turku”, on the second seminar day, Hanna Roihuvaara and Mike Karjagin from Weasel Port Solutions (WPS) use Ferry Terminal Turku as a concrete example of how a new type of shared ferry terminal environment is being developed and what this requires from an operational perspective.

The presentation focuses on the need for a shared situational view, the management of passenger and vehicle flows, and cooperation between the many actors who depend on each other within the terminal environment. It also addresses the challenges that need to be solved and the lessons from Ferry Terminal Turku that can be applied in other ferry and ro-pax environments.

“Smooth port traffic requires more than individual systems. When passenger and vehicle flows and operational information are brought together into a shared whole, it becomes easier to manage port operations and makes the journey smoother for everyone, from holiday travellers and people travelling for work to professional drivers transporting goods,” says Hanna Roihuvaara, Head of Marketing and Communications at Weasel Port Solutions.

During the second seminar day, Captain Mikael Hildén of AMH Maritime will lead a panel discussion on the shadow fleet. Among the panel participants is Lieutenant Commander Pekka Niittylä from the West Finland Coast Guard District.

The discussion will provide an opportunity to examine the shadow fleet from several perspectives and explore issues related to safety, surveillance, and the future development of traffic in the Baltic Sea.

The term shadow fleet is used to describe vessels that operate outside established structures of international shipping. This may include ships used to circumvent sanctions and transport Russian oil. Hildén points out, however, that not all vessels associated with the shadow fleet should automatically be considered unsafe.

One issue that has attracted significant attention is the risk of accidents and oil spills. The Baltic Sea is an environmentally sensitive area with intensive maritime traffic, meaning that a major accident could have far-reaching consequences.

Hildén emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between actual risks and assumptions.

”It is easy to assume that if a vessel belongs to the shadow fleet, it is automatically dangerous. It is not that simple.”

The term shadow fleet became widely used in connection with Russia’s oil exports following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

One of the participating organisations is the international non-profit organisation Mercy Ships. Mercy Ships provides free, life-saving healthcare and surgical procedures in developing countries where access to healthcare services is limited. The organisation operates mainly with the support of volunteers.

Aboa Mare supports Mercy Ships’ important mission by donating 10 percent of the fair’s proceeds to the organisation’s work.

Maritime Fair 2026 is organized by Aboa Mare. The event’s main sponsor is Promarine Ltd, and Marpro serves as the official media and cooperation partner.

Further information about the fair and seminar programme, including a complete exhibitor list and detailed schedules for both days, is available at:

https://aboamare.fi/maritime-fair-2026

29 October 2026 09:00-17:00

30 October 2026 09:00-15:00

Admission to both the exhibition and seminar programme is free of charge.

Auriga Business Center, Aboa Mare
Juhana Herttuan puistokatu 21
20100 Turku, Finland

A limited number of parking spaces are available for visitors. Public transportation is recommended whenever possible.