F&L Spring Round-Table
Information you can trust. F&L is a multi-stakeholder leadership forum for senior logistics leaders & their teams. Neutral & non-lobby, it does not seek commercial gain and facilitates a wide network of international senior business (members) & other leaders across 20+ countries to come together within the competition laws to learn, inform, challenge and collaborate for mutual benefit.
- Agenda: Collaboration by necessity in disruptive times. Regulatory & economic environment / competitiveness. Ports & hubs as critical energy, industrial and defence partners. Meet the policymakers.
- Meeting date: 22-23 April 2026 (networking gala dinner 22 April).
- Location: Ghent & Antwerp.
- What to expect: Leaders’ round-table discussion agenda, community-led, <140 participants, no sales pitches.
- Costs: €450 card/ €500 payment by invoice. These discounted rates apply to F&L members: non-member companies pay €1500
- Help? Get in touch.
This event is hosted by North Sea Port & Port of Antwerp-Bruges, and other key partners are shown below.
Adapting and renewing global supply chains; a licence to operate
Industry leaders & policymakers discuss how, given the challenging global trading backdrop, freight logistics operations are – by necessity – adapting and collaborating to add value. Allied to this is the European Commission’s ambitions for the freight logistics sector and for increasing European competitiveness and harmonising Europe-wide regulations, infrastructure and investment. We focus on business competitiveness, understanding the changing regulatory background, the role logistics is playing to enhance European defence and what industry leaders want each other to know to be able to make better, more informed, more robust decisions.
F&L competition law & antitrust compliance policies.
21 April
International arrivals Antwerpen
22 April
Location: Ghent [see ‘Venues’ tab for details]
- 09:00 coffee & registration at Visitor Centre, North Sea Port
- 09:45 boarding Ship Denique II, opening & Welcome
- Collaboration by necessity & the now critical role of hubs: opportunities of volatility for industry, supply chains & why the new role of ports matters for energy, industry & defence [CEO & director led]
- 11:45, Economic & Regulatory environment and competitiveness
- Market trading data overview: all modes, better or worse?
- Why are we here today?
- Regulatory background & EU positioning
- Industry leaders demonstrate flexibility in action & global capabilities / competitiveness
- Senior policymakers EU Commission & legal advisors – Panel & audience.
- Lunch & understanding North Sea Port value
- Choice of breakouts – EU competitiveness & Global supply chain solutions [specific materials provided by industry leaders]
- Defence – logistics matters. Change and the need for specialist capabilities/skills
- Brigadier General & Director Logistics of the EU Military Staff & other key input.
- 16:30 disembark & transfer to Antwerp
- 19:00 Gala reception evening programme, Port of Antwerp Bruges
23 April
Location: Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Port House
- 09:00 Are we ready? Conclusions Day 1 & aims for Day 2
- Dare to be different: frontrunners’ perspectives
- CEO Port of Antwerp-Bruges & other key input.
- Choice of breakout: planning for solutions
- Session A – 5+ scenarios & forecastingfor our long term future [Director led]
- Session B – energy transition, infrastructure, investment & transport
- [Professor & Director led]
- Lunch
- Choice of understanding what is happening at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges through behind the scenes closed-door visits
- Bertschi’s Antwerp Zomerweg Terminal AZT for dangerous goods storage and trimodal transport. Strategically located in the largest integrated chemical cluster in Europe, the terminal serves as an important hub for imports and exports to and from overseas markets.
- CMB Tech – worldwide pioneer, hydrogen and ammonia technology development and production.
- VanMoer – containers.
- NextGen district – companies shaping tomorrow including PureCycle.
- Others to be confirmed.
- 15:30 Close
This meeting is for senior business leaders & their teams; people who are actively leading industry today.
Participants will be shown in due course.
International travel
- F&L sleeping hotels reserved in Antwerp for nights of Tues 21 & Wed 22 April 2026.
- Air – Brussels Zaventem airport (BRU) has a direct rail connection to Antwerp Centraal (approx 30 mins). Brussels Charleroi (CRL) is further away – approx 2 hours by train to Antwerp Centraal – depending on time of day, you may be a little quicker by taxi.
- Rail – head for Antwerp Centraal.
- Car – parking at the F&L hotels in Antwerp and also if you choose to travel independently by car to Ghent on 22 April.
Overview
- Tues 21 April – no agenda but F&L hotels reserved in Antwerp & some may meet for dinner.
- Wed 22 April – programme in Ghent 09:45 – 16:30 followed by gala dinner in Antwerp (max 100). For those staying in Antwerp, we will take the train together from Antwerp to Ghent and back again. Plenty parking both locations for those who prefer own transport.
- Thurs 23 April – programme continues in Antwerp 09:00 – 15:30.
- Sleeping hotel(s) – please see registration confirmation email for discount codes etc.
Venues
Wed 22 April
- 07:45 / 08:00 those staying in Antwerp travel by train to Gent-Dampoort
- 08:45 NSP shuttle from Gent-Dampoort railway station to Visitor Centre
- 09:00 – 09:45 Coffee & registration Visitor Centre North Sea Port, Rigakaai 1, 9000 Gent, Belgium
- 09:45 – 16:15 on board Ship Denique II, boarding from Quay Rigakaai (next to the visitor Centre)
- 11:40 – 16:00 ship at sea
- 16:15 disembark & NSP shuttle to Gent-Dampoort railway station & trains to Antwerp Centraal
- 19:00 collection at F&L hotel Antwerp for evening programme & gala dinner Bebronna
Thurs 23 April
- 09:00 – 13:30 Antwerp Port House, Auditorium Marc Van Peel, Zaha Hadidplein 1, 2030 Antwerp including lunch
- 13:30 choice of visits see ‘Agenda’ tab
- 15:30 Close and departure for onward journeys (remember public transport is fastest in Antwerp)
Dress Code
General businesswear.
Questions?
Welcome; please get in touch.
F&L Adapting and renewing global supply chains; a licence to operate 22-23 April 2026
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