Maritime transportation is one of the few industries that can actually bring "the mountain to Mohammad." In the first local event of its kind, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority has done just that.

The strategy with Thor Fest (see items on Pages 3, 11 and 12) was to bring together international experts in transportation, business and academia to give local and regional businesses access to new information and new markets. The gathering was deemed a great success by participants, with an intriguing mix of guests. It is clear that the exchange of ideas, and business cards, will be bringing people back to the Port of Duluth-Superior.

Some may ask why or how a name like Thor Fest. The name was suggested by several of our friends in Montreal, and it stuck. Thor was the Norse deity of the common man, of weather and crops — which fits nicely with Duluth and grain export. The fact that the weather for the event was perfect would suggest that Thor may have been pleased by our choice. Out here we will do anything to increase the odds for a nice summer day. Besides, we held the main dinner event on Thorsday. Enough about Thor.

The Port Authority was fortunate to attract a keynote speaker with both the knowledge and enthusiasm to challenge the attendees. Captain Tjakko Bouwman, recently retired managing director of the Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners and a member of the Netherlands Shipping Court, provided a European perspective of the Great Lakes and United States maritime operations.

The attendees were challenged to think of the Great Lakes as a transportation corridor connecting the new Europe (25 countries, 522 million people and 8,023 seagoing ships) with the North American heartland. Recognizing the similarities of culture and economies, Capt. Bouwman stressed that now is the time to explore opportunities for formal alliances and cooperative efforts with the New Europe to achieve regional benefit. Working with the European shipping interests, we can develop direct trading routes between the Great Lakes and the many similar shallow-draft, eight-meter ports and facilities in Europe. The advantages of door-to-door delivery are significant for both parties and could produce a renaissance in Great Lakes/Seaway international trade.

Royal Wagenborg, a Dutch Shipping company, has already initiated the process, introducing its small, shallow-draft 9,000-ton coastal traders to Seaway service. And, as predicted, this has opened up new markets. To further refine the process and better leverage the concept, the Great Lakes shipping community needs to work closely with the Europeans to refine ship designs and marine technology.

Another concept that was discussed by our keynote speaker was an ocean/lake/river ship design that is catching on in Europe. This ship is designed to be versatile, low cost, efficient and safe. Configured to 8-meter draft standards, the vessel has no engine room, a small diameter propeller and a forward-end pilot house for improved visibility. The ship's power is provided by deck-mounted diesel generators — sets that are redundant, detachable and leased from the manufacturer using a horsepower/hour arrangement. The operating plan calls for all maintenance to be provided from shoreside facilities, permitting reduced crew size. These ships are being built for container service using an open porter hatchless design with built-in container cell guides. The result is a 67 percent improvement in loading and discharging costs. Recently, several European ship yards have taken their designs and exported them along with the initial steel fabrication in what has been termed A-Ship-In-A-Box.

Could this concept work on the Great Lakes? The fact is that these ideas may have the potential to produce a low-cost, versatile ship that is assembled and modified at United States shipyards and completed with U.S. components — which could qualify them as "Jones Act" ships. Again we see an opportunity for a positive partnership.

The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway system needs to introduce new ship designs that address construction costs, utility, operating expense and safety. These issues and many more need to be studied and refined as we develop our trading corridors in the New World. The potential for our region is huge, but it requires working together both here and abroad.

Taking a page from Captain Bouwman's address where he quoted Albert Einstein: "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."

Thor Fest served as an excellent chance for us to share both knowledge and imagination, and we look forward to exploring new ideas and opportunities.