Niels Wiecker is Director of Port and Logistics at the Ministry of Economy, Labour and Innovation, Hamburg. He obtained a Ph.D. for his work on the economic history of trade and ports in the Atlantic. Since 2019 he is responsible for port, shipping and logistics. His directorate supports the maritime industry as it transitions to renewable energies, adopts digital technologies, and creates new business opportunities. It acts as the ministerial oversight for the Hamburg Port Authority and ensures public funding.