This time of the year always gives a great opportunity to consider lessons learned and set new year’s resolutions for new beginnings. For that matter, Mrs. Jenny Braat, CEO, Danish Maritime, makes an assessment of 2021 and shares her message for the new year across the global maritime community.
SAFETY4SEA: How would you briefly describe 2021? What is your assessment?
Jenny Braat: More than anything 2021 has been demanding, but it has also been a useful learning process.
S4S: What were the lessons learned for the maritime industry in 2021 and what to keep for the new year moving forwards?
JB: Going through a crisis makes you rethink both your organization and your way of doing business. During the past two years we learned important new ways of connection and collaboration between companies, costumers and business partners and those learnings will be brought along in a positive way. Not only when talking about digitalization, but also in relation to the way we interact – e.g., by creating the needed trust in a sales situation without shaking hands and meeting face to face because we do the whole process online.
S4S: Focusing on your area of expertise, what do you think that will be the biggest challenge(s) for the industry in 2022?
JB: The global fleet will have to go through a massive green transition to make sure that the shipping industry live up to the political demands and the expectations from the civil society. That is a huge challenge that requires a common international responsibility and a willingness to make the necessary investments. No country or part of the world can do this alone.
We need IMO to lead the way and step up on ambitions and we need an international willingness to require a stricter regulatory enforcement on global legislation and rules. In the maritime industry we are capable of providing the solutions, but without more global requirements and regulation the speed will be way to slow.
S4S: What would be the new year’s resolutions for your organization?
JB: As an organization we have always been on our feet to make sure that our members have the best possible framework conditions, but after the crisis I see a need for an even stronger approach to ensure a level playing field around the globe where unsatisfying projectionism unfortunately is growing. During a crisis it is perfectly natural that each country aims at supporting its own businesses, but restrictions regarding COVID-19 should not be used as an excuse to exclude foreign companies, which unfortunately we have seen happen. So, a New Year’s resolution is to work against that tendency.
S4S: What are you looking forward to in 2022? What would you be most glad about seeing changing in the maritime industry next year?
JB: Not all parts of our industry are fully back on their feet, and I’ll be happy to see that happen. But on our Danish members behalf I am optimistic because I see a very high level of innovation and ability to adapt their businesses both quickly and effectively. We have a lot of strong technical solutions both sitting on the shelf and on the way, and I hope we’ll see a worldwide movement towards a more sustainable shipping industry where we’ll be happy to contribute.
S4S: If you could make one wish for the maritime industry for the year to come, what would you ask for?
JB:
A mixture of more qualified labor, better framework conditions and a more level playing fields around the globe would be great to ensure that we reach our common goal: a sustainable global shipping industry.
* * * New Year’s Resolutions for the Maritime Industry * * *
In 2022,
- We need to repeat… the need for more investments in greener shipping and a stricter regulatory enforcement on global legislation and rules.
- We need to lose… the most polluting part of the international fleet – or at least do a serious upgrade.
- We need to gain… green results that will make a remarkable change for the globe, for the maritime industry for you and me and for the nature surrounding us.
- We can succeed by… speeding up the green transition and willingness to invest in sustainability – it’s our common duty and it’s urgent.
The views presented are only those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.
