This time of the year is always a good opportunity to consider lessons learned and set new year’s resolutions for a new start. Our special column Industry Voices: ‘Goodbye 2020, hello 2021’ aims to provide an overview of this challenging year and set new targets for 2021 to move forward.
In this context, we have asked Mrs. Jenny Braat, CEO, Danish Maritime, to make an assessment of 2020 from her perspective and share her message for the new year across the global community. Among others, she highlights that there is need for more level playing fields across the world, becoming more ambitious regarding the transition from black to green shipping.
I would like the maritime industry to stop being so modest. We need to explain the world our importance for the globalization and how we build, repair and retrofit ships for tomorrows green shipping.
SAFETY4SEA: Focusing on your area of expertise, what were the most important industry development(s) within 2020?
Jenny Braat: Looking across the whole maritime world I see a positive change in attitude when talking about the green transition. In the maritime industry we have been working with a green mindset for a long time and are making ongoing technical progress. Due to expenses and competitiveness the shipping companies have been more reluctant, but I see a positive change, also supported by the new IMO-agreement and Horizon 2020. So even though we would like a more fastmoving development and have a lot of green technical solutions that could be to put into use right away, I’m still happy about the overall positive awareness of our common responsibly and the steps we are taking together.
S4S: Focusing on your area of expertise, what do you think that will be the biggest challenge(s) for the industry in 2021?
J.Br: The maritime industry was struck hard by the consequences of the pandemic and even though the vaccine against the coronavirus is just around the corner the problems are not over yet. The industry has lost orders, customers and employees, so 2021 will be about winning it all back. Step by step the World is going to reopen and we are more than ready to get on the first flight.
S4S: What would be the 2021 resolutions for your company/organisation?
J.Br.: As we get back on our feet after the crisis it’s more important than ever to show very clearly how important a sector the maritime industry is. We are a part of the critical infrastructure and of great importance to the national economies, the world trade and the green transition of the global transport sector. Therefor we have a responsibility to help the politicians understand the strategic importance of our industry and thereby make positive changes for the growth, the climate, the environment and the generations to follow.
S4S: What is your overall forecast for the shipping industry in 2021 and what would you like to share and/or wish and/or ask other industry stakeholders?
J.Br: We have a both strong and extremely innovative industry and shipbuilding is becoming more and more high-tech demanding. I see the industry growing in 2021, but we need more level playing fields across the World and we need to be more ambitious regarding the transition from black to green shipping. The UN Sustainable Development Goals also apply to us and even though many positive things are happening in the business we need to work more closely together to make a significant change for both the climate and the environment. That’s the way to take pride in what we do.
The views presented hereabove are only those of the author and do not necessarily those of SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.
