Australia sent more delegates than any other country to Interferry2026, the 50th Annual Interferry Conference, with 65 Australians attending the global ferry industry’s flagship event in Bangkok, Thailand.
Held at the Shangri-La Bangkok from 31 October to 4 November 2026 and hosted by Chao Phraya Express Boat, the golden jubilee conference ran under the theme “Stronger Than Ever… Together”. The program brought together ferry operators, shipbuilders, designers and suppliers from around the world for two days of speaker sessions, ferry leader panels, an exhibition and a technical tour, alongside celebrations marking five decades of Interferry.
A strong showing for Australia’s commercial marine sector
AIMEX CEO David Good said the strength of the Australian contingent reflected the scale and international standing of the nation’s commercial marine sector.
“Australia’s commercial marine industry supports 137,262 full-time equivalent jobs and contributes $25.16 billion to the national economy each year, with $50.93 billion in annual business output,” Mr Good said. “Water transport is the largest contributor within that, and ferries are a significant part of the story.”
“Ferries are an area where Australia genuinely punches above its weight internationally. Australian-designed and Australian-built fast ferries operate on routes around the world, and our operators, designers and suppliers are recognised as global leaders. Having the largest delegation of any nation at Interferry’s 50th conference sends a clear message about where Australia sits in this industry.”
The figures come from the Australian Commercial Marine Economic Impact Study, prepared by AEC Group for the Australian Commercial Marine Group (ACMG) and launched in March 2026.
“Having the largest delegation of any nation at Interferry’s 50th conference sends a clear message about where Australia sits in this industry.”
David Good, CEO, AIMEX
Brisbane electric ferry a conference highlight
A standout session came from Tommy Ericson, Founder and Director of Brisbane-based Aus Ships Group, who detailed the company’s world-leading fully electric passenger ferry now being completed at its Brisbane shipyard.
The 18-metre vessel will carry 80 passengers and is powered by twin Volvo Penta IPS450E electric drives with a 460 kWh battery system. It is designed as Australia’s first fully accessible, commercially compliant electric passenger ferry, with completion due in early 2027. Aus Ships, builder of Brisbane’s CityCat ferries, sees the vessel as a scalable platform for electric ferry routes along Australia’s east coast and across the region.
Australian capability on show
Australian companies had a strong presence in the conference exhibition, showcasing ferry design, construction, propulsion, safety and maintenance capability to operators from around the world. Australian exhibitors and sponsors included:
- Austal
- Ayres Composite Panels
- Beurteaux
- Ferryhawk
- Hullbot
- Incat Tasmania
- Liferaft Systems Australia
- UES Marine
IMS sponsored the conference’s morning run club, and AIMEX supported the conference as an official Media Partner.
Next stop: Åland Islands
Interferry2027, the 51st annual conference, will be held in Mariehamn in Finland’s Åland Islands in early October 2027, hosted by Viking Line. Québec City, Canada, will follow in October 2028, hosted by Société des traversiers du Québec. Brisbane is bidding to host Interferry in 2030 or 2031, in the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“Bangkok was a fitting celebration of 50 years of Interferry, and Australia showed up in force,” Mr Good said. “We will be working to build on that momentum and take a strong Australian presence to Mariehamn next year. Bringing Interferry to Brisbane ahead of the 2032 Games would showcase Australian ferry capability to the world on home waters.”
