Agenda 2026

In a market shaped by policy shifts, capital pressure and geopolitical uncertainty, not every project moves forward as planned. This keynote conversation brings together a senior project decision-maker and a market strategist to examine how investment decisions are being made today. With market analysis and live discussion, the session explores which projects are advancing, which are stalling, and how market demand, financing, regulation and risk tolerance are reshaping the project pipeline across the Americas.

With global LNG demand rising and energy security concerns reshaping investment priorities, US projects are accelerating, but not without short-term uncertainty. This panel examines how developers, EPCs and government voices are responding to the next wave of LNG expansion, from financing and long-term contracting to execution challenges, infrastructure demand and supply chain pressure. Speakers will outline both near-term disruption and long-term opportunity in one of the industry’s most active project markets.

As geopolitical uncertainty, industrial policy and schedule pressure reshape project delivery, some owners are rethinking how and where major components are sourced, fabricated and assembled. Rather than relying entirely on long global supply chains, companies are exploring regionalization, nearshoring and more localized delivery models in pursuit of greater control, certainty and resilience. This session examines what is driving that shift, how regional industrial hubs and supplier networks could evolve across the Americas, and what it may mean for fabrication strategies, logistics demand and future project development.

As demand for copper, lithium, rare earths and other critical minerals accelerates, major processing, manufacturing and supply chain projects are scaling across the US, from rare earth separation and magnet facilities to battery and advanced manufacturing investments linked to semiconductors, electrification and energy infrastructure. But domestic supply alone will not meet rising demand. Increasingly, the US is looking across the Americas to secure long-term access to the materials needed to support industrial growth. Key discussion points will include:

• How trade agreements, financing, regional partnerships and localization strategies are reshaping critical minerals supply chains;
• Why Latin America is becoming central to US manufacturing ambitions;
• Where infrastructure and logistics constraints are emerging;
• What this means for future project development, logistics demand and trade flows across the Americas.

The industry’s talent challenge is well known – but expectations are changing rapidly. This session brings young professionals together to explore how career priorities, work culture and skillsets are evolving, including the growing influence of technologies like AI on day-to-day roles and future career paths. It also examines how companies can attract and retain talent through new pathways, training models and workplace flexibility. A practical, solutions-focused discussion designed to move beyond the problem and highlight what is actually working.

Project cargo rarely moves in a straight line, and the biggest execution risks are often locked in long before transport begins. This session examines how project teams make critical inland logistics decisions across road, rail, barge and port networks, and why choices made at the prefeasibility stage can determine project success years later. Through real project examples, speakers explore how teams evaluate corridors, work around infrastructure constraints, balance cost, speed and execution certainty, and respond when conditions on the ground force plans to change. A practical discussion focused on what works in delivering complex projects across the Americas.

A live pitch session spotlighting start-ups bringing new thinking into the port and maritime sector – from smarter operations to practical solutions for real industry challenges. Taking to the stage in front of industry leaders, decision-makers and start-up accelerators, this is a chance to build visibility and connect with the people shaping the market. 

Short, sharp and to the point – each pitch is designed to spark conversation and open up new opportunities. 

Preparing for the upcoming multi-decade wave of energy projects requires a fundamental shift from reactive logistics to strategic asset and capacity positioning. As industrial infrastructure buildouts simultaneously scale up conventional oil and gas exports and clean energy grids, project cargo service providers must invest ahead of the curve.

Under the guidance of Breakbulk's Future Thinkers, representing both industry experts and academia, this session will break down the energy projects by timeframe, with a clear assessment of the potential market for each, including pipeline projections, forecasted investment and potential business for service providers. Attendees will come away with the intelligence needed to inform their own business growth plans to suit their expertise and ambitions.

Chapter 1 | 2026-2030: Proven Infrastructure, Immediate Growth
Battery energy storage (BESS), CCUS, data center microgrids, LNG export terminals, offshore oil & gas (FPSO), oil & gas refineries, rare earth processing plants, new and expansion mining.

Chapter 2 | 2030-2040: Scaling the Next Energy Systems
Blue/green hydrogen hub, enhanced geothermal, large-scale nuclear resurgence, pumped storage hydropower, small modular reactor (SMR).

Chapter 3 | 2040-2045+: Frontier Infrastructure
Advanced geothermal (supercritical), fusion pilot plant, orbital solar power beaming, space-based data centers.

The breakbulk fleet is aging, vessel availability is tightening and geopolitical pressures are reshaping global capacity. This session explores how carriers, inland operators and project stakeholders are responding to rising demand, limited newbuild activity and increasing pressure on US-flag capacity driven by cargo preference rules, government-backed projects and shifting global priorities. Combining market analysis with strategic and operational perspectives, the discussion examines what this means for pricing, lead times, transportation readiness and long-term project planning.

Data centers are rapidly emerging as a major driver of industrial investment, with AI-driven expansion accelerating demand for power generation, cabling and industrial equipment. This session explores how these projects are reshaping logistics requirements, placing growing pressure on energy grids, water resources and materials supply chains across the Americas. As data centers become increasingly tied to critical infrastructure and government systems, speakers also examine the growing importance of infrastructure security, supply chain resilience and operational risk.

AI is transforming industries at remarkable speed – but where is it delivering real operational value today? In this candid interview, a leading voice from the technology and infrastructure world explores where AI is improving decision-making, forecasting and operational efficiency, where expectations are running ahead of reality, and why data quality, human judgement and industry expertise still matter. Looking beyond logistics, the session examines what project cargo can realistically learn from faster-moving industries and where AI is likely to have the biggest practical impact in the years ahead

In a market defined by disruption, predictability has become increasingly elusive. Returning in the popular “Ask the Experts” format, this audience-led Q&A session examines how companies are planning and executing projects despite tariffs, Section 301 actions, shifting trade policy and operational uncertainty. Bringing together specialists in trade, customs, procurement and project delivery, the discussion explores practical approaches to managing risk, compliance, cost pressure and supply chain disruption, from cargo preference requirements and Chinese vessel concerns to forced labor investigations and evolving trade restrictions.

Nuclear investment is accelerating, but the logistics models behind traditional nuclear construction and emerging SMR deployment are fundamentally different. This session explores how cargo profiles, delivery schedules, manufacturing approaches and infrastructure needs are changing, while also examining how new entrants, private capital and evolving ownership models are reshaping project execution itself. Speakers discuss the operational, regulatory and workforce capabilities required to support a growing nuclear supply chain.

If manufacturing and industrial investment accelerate across the Americas, can infrastructure keep pace? A surge in production would place unprecedented pressure on ports, power supply, inland transport networks and cross-border corridors, testing whether existing capacity can support long-term growth. Using audience-submitted scenarios and live debate, this session explores where major bottlenecks could emerge, why industrial expansion is moving faster than infrastructure planning, and what happens when demand outpaces the capacity to deliver. A forward-looking discussion on the risks, trade-offs and breaking points that could shape the next decade of industrial growth across the Americas.