TRY as we might, it seems this year’s London International Shipping Week discussions will struggle to escape the gravitational pull of Brexit, as democracy crumbles around us and we hurtle towards a no deal with metaphors of large difficult to manoeuvre tankers that much more pertinent to the maritime crowd than most.

Here at Lloyd’s List we are pragmatically determined to look beyond the Brexit chaos and work on the assumption that global trade will not grind to halt on October 31 and the shipping industry will do what the shipping industry does best and find solutions amid uncertainty.

To aid our positive thinking, we drafted in the ever-optimistic chief executive of the UK Major Ports Group Tim Morris for this week’s edition of the podcast.

He talks to editor Richard Meade about why he is certain that shipping’s planning and adaptability will win the day in the near term and why the foundations of a ‘strong port’ fit for 2050 will require: productivity, connectivity, added value logistics services, fully digital platforms and a range of new services beyond those currently being planned today.

While we have you thinking about London Shipping Week, don’t forget to sign up to Lloyd’s List’s Transparency in Shipping Forum being held on September 9 at 8am. Attendance is free but places are limited so register in advance here.

Enjoy the podcast and don’t forget, you can now subscribe to the Lloyd’s List Podcast via iTunes and Spotify, as well as most other podcast providers. And make sure you are registered for a free account on Lloydslist.com so you can receive our Daily Briefing e-mail.