Contact person
Anna Karlsson
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Conference on Fire Safety at Sea - CFIS
How is fire safety at sea affected by new fuels and technologies, evolving regulations and lessons from real incidents? These are some of the key topics at the Conference on Fire Safety at Sea (CFIS), organised by RISE Research Institutes of Sweden on 1–2 December 2026 in Borås, Sweden.
CFIS brings together professionals from shipping, maritime safety, research, industry and public authorities to discuss current challenges and exchange knowledge, experience and solutions for safer shipping.
Who is Conference on Fire Safety at Sea for?
CFIS is for professionals working in shipping, maritime safety, research, industry, regulatory bodies and public authorities, and anyone engaged in advancing maritime fire safety. Explore the CFIS Program 2026.
What can you expect from CFIS?
Over two days, you will:
- Discover new developments in maritime fire safety.
- Understand how regulations and safety practices are evolving.
- Learn from real incidents, firefighting and rescue operations.
- Connect with experts and peers from across the maritime sector.
Join CFIS for new perspectives
What makes CFIS unique is the mix of perspectives from research, industry, authorities and operational practice, bringing different parts of the maritime fire safety community together. Sign up for news and updates about CFIS.
Join us in Borås and be part of the continued development of fire safety at sea. Welcome!
Speakers
Programme
Speakers
Adolfo Pastor
Designated Person Ashore (DPA), Trasmed
Adolfo Pastor brings practical experience from ship operations and safety management, with a focus on risk prevention and compliance in maritime transport.
Ángel Buenaga
Head of the Valencia CCS Centre, Sociedad de Salvamento y Seguridad Marítima
Experiences from the Maritime Incident Response Group (MIRG) in the Valencian Community, covering development and lessons learned from maritime emergency response and preparedness.
Arne Brathole
Senior Surveyor, Norwegian Maritime Authority
Perspectives on the regulation of maritime battery systems from both Norway and the IMO.
Bogdan Raciega
Fire Laboratory Director, Baltic Fire Laboratory
Filip Svensson
Captain, Wallenius Wilhelmsen
"A ship operator’s perspective on fire alongside, ship–shore emergency response"
Joanne Ellis
Researcher, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
“Hydrogen in Shipping: Rules, Risks, and Research”
José María Piña
Fire Service Officer, Alicante Municipal Fire Brigade
Experiences from the Maritime Incident Response Group (MIRG) in the Valencian Community, covering development and lessons learned from maritime emergency response and preparedness.
Magnus Johansson
Technical Manager , The Swedish Club and The Nordic Association of Marine Insurers
“Safety campaign – fuel leakages and fires in engine room”
Monica Ramalho
Project Officer for Ship Safety, European Maritime Safety Agency
"Safe transportation of alternative fuel vehicles on ro-ro vessels"
Sarka Langer
Researcher & Adjunct Professor, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute & Chalmers University of Technology
Sarka Langer presents findings from the ShipsFLAME project, which investigates flame retardants and crew exposure on board Swedish ships.
Sebastian Packalén
Project Manager, Stena Teknik
Experiences and views on the importance of collaboration, knowledge sharing and working together to create safer shipping.
Sixten Dahlbom
Researcher, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
“Dangerous goods or not? Self-heating of biocoal”
Programme
Programme CFIS 2026 (pdf, 158.72 KB)
Day 1
13:00 Registration and coffee
13:15 Welcome and introduction
Anna Karlsson, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
Collaboration for safer shipping - Stena’s view on fire safety at sea
Sebastian Packalén, Project Manager, Stena Teknik
Large-scale evaluation of total-flooding fire suppression systems for methanol fires
Bogdan Raciega, Fire Laboratory Director, Baltic Fire Laboratory
Safety campaign - fuel leakages and fires in engine room
Magnus Johansson, Technical manager, The Swedish Club & Cefor
14:30 Break
15:00Safe transportation of alternative fuel vehicles on ro-ro vessels
Monica Ramalho, Project Officer for Ship Safety, European Maritime Safety Agency
Regulating maritime battery systems - from Norway to the International Maritime Organisation
Arne Brathole, Senior Surveyor, Norwegian Maritime Authority
TBD
16:15 Break
Sailor stories: Maritime fire safety in practise
TBA
17:15 Sum up the day and evening info
17:30 Mingle! Find new and old friends.
Day 2
09:00 Coffee and highlights from Day 1
Anna Karlsson, RISE
09:15 Starting off the second day
Anna Karlsson, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
Occurrence and personal exposure of flame retardants on board
Sarka Langer, Researcher, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute & Chalmers University of Technology
Dangerous goods or not? Self-heating of biocoal
Sixten Dahlbom, Researcher, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
10:30 Break
Maintenance deficiencies and fire risks of reefer units on ro-ro ships
Adolfo Pastor, Designated Person Ashore, Trasmed
Hydrogen in shipping: rules, risks, and research
Joanne Ellis, Researcher, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, and Eric DeCarvalho, Head of Safety Modelling Team, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore
Audience reflection - Mentimeter
12:00 Lunch
Case study: ro-ro vessel on fire in Zeebrugge – challenges and solutions
BlueTack
Maritime Incident Response Group (MIRG) in the Valencian Community
Ángel Buenaga, MaritimeSearch and Rescue Service and José María Piña, Alicante Municipal Fire Brigade
A ship operator’s perspective on fire alongside ship-–shore emergency response
Captain Filip Svensson, Wallenius Wilhelmsen
Reflections, takeaways and site visit information
14:45 Break
15:30 From conference to practice
Bus to RISE lab
16:00 Site visit at RISE – Lab tours and information sessions
Choose one activity:
• Battery Safety Lab
• Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) lab
• Fire lab
• Mechanics lab
• SSPA Maritime Center (information session)
• RISE Maritime Certification (information session)
17:15 Bus to Göteborg Landvetter Airport
18:00 Drop off at Göteborg Landvetter Airport
