Train traffic between Europe and China has proven to be the most resilient transport mode during the ongoing pandemic; the New Silk Road is shockproof. This is the main theme of the European Silk Road Summit 2020, organised by Promedia Group. The event will be held online on 10 and 11 November.
The corridor has never been busier than it is today. Despite a disrupted world economy and a second wave of Covid-19 moving across the globe, volumes on trains between Europe and China are continuing to rise. New routes are being established, new solutions developed and cooperation between Europe and China is continuing, albeit in the digital sphere.
Digital all the way
The European Silk Road Summit will take place online and, amongst other things, will feature short documentary-style video reports, which will be shown throughout the day and will provide an opportunity for greater interaction amongst participants.
What’s on the agenda?
The conference will begin with a parallel session in which a concurrent event taking place in Chengdu, China will be streamed. During this session, speakers representing the European rail freight industry will alternate with speakers representing various platforms or companies in China. Sandra Géhénot, Freight Director at UIC, will present the results of the UIC study on transcontinental development and the impact of drivers such as digitalisation, subsidies, etc.
The first day will also include speakers from Hugo Boss, GEFCO, CH Robinson, Furlog, GVT, New Silk Way Logistics and Nunner. Practical issues, such as transporting fashion or automotive parts and cars, are among the topics for discussion.
Policy and routes
Maja Bakran Marcich, Deputy Director-General for Mobility and Transport at the European Commission, will kick off the second day. “We want to discuss policy measures on different levels: on the European level, Chinese level and market level. Policy is an interesting perspective when it comes to an international corridor such as the New Silk Road”, says Promedia Group’s Arie van Dijk. Later that day, various routes and possibilities will be discussed, with a special focus on the Baltic Sea region, Ukraine, Italy and Kazakhstan.
Registration for the event is still open and can be completed via the website: https://www.silkroadsummit.eu
