Busan to Host 20th World Ocean Forum to Discuss Future of Marine Industry

[Financial News] An international forum to discuss the future of the marine industry and ways to foster international cooperation will be held in Busan. 
The city of Busan said on the 2nd that it will host the 2026 20th World Ocean Forum from the 3rd to the 5th in the Conference Hall on the 5th floor of the Busan Port International Exhibition & Convention Center (BPEX).
Marking its 20th edition this year, the World Ocean Forum is an international forum where experts and scholars in marine fields from Korea and abroad, as well as corporate chief executives (CEOs), discuss major issues facing the global marine industry and explore directions for future development.
This year’s theme is “Ocean, Connect,” bringing together countries and industries, technologies and people through the ocean, and exploring new possibilities for cooperation.
Amid a rapidly changing international environment shaped by climate change, a restructuring of the maritime order and advances in cutting-edge technology, the forum will broadly address key issues for the future ocean economy, including Arctic shipping routes, the digital transformation of the marine industry, clean energy and international ocean governance. It will also discuss the development direction and role of Busan as an ocean city.
Following the opening ceremony on the 3rd, congratulatory remarks will be delivered by Julien Barbier, head of UNESCO’s Ocean Policy and Regional Cooperation, and keynote addresses will be given by Alastair Bonnett, professor of social geography at Newcastle University in the UK, and Kim Ji-yoon, who holds a PhD in political science. 
Various sessions will be held during the forum on topics including Arctic shipping routes, artificial intelligence (AI), green energy, the ocean economy and international ocean governance.
The city will hold a special session on the afternoon of the 4th under the theme “Completing Busan as the Maritime Capital—Connecting National Strategies.” It will examine how to complete Busan’s development as a maritime capital in connection with strategies at the national level, and discuss how Busan should develop to respond to changes in the global ocean economy.
Various side events will also be held at the venue, including corporate booth exhibitions, an ocean library and virtual reality (VR) experiences.
[email protected] Kwon Byeong-seok Reporter