Shipyards’ & Maritime Equipment Association (SEA Europe), the association representing the European maritime technology industry, comprising shipyards and maritime equipment manufacturers, presented its policy recommendations for a Maritime Industrial Strategy at the European Parliament.
In particular, during a roundtable co-hosted by MEP Catherine Chabaud and MEP Pierre Karleskind with nearly 150 persons in a full room, several speakers from the maritime community voiced the urgent need for a European maritime industrial strategy to support the competitiveness of European shipyards and maritime equipment manufacturers, and the business case for sustainable and digitalised vessels.
European maritime industry has great innovative and technical potential, and we, the European Parliament, but also the European Commission, must live up to it. The green potential, in particular, is under-exploited.
…MEP Pierre Karleskind declared.
Christophe Tytgat, Secretary-General of SEA Europe, commented: “It is imperative to regain Europe’s shipbuilding capacity by securing orders from shipowners, including European shipowners. To this end, the European maritime technology industry has a clear 3-fold ambition:
- Consolidate its global leadership in complex shipbuilding and maritime equipment manufacturing,
- Regain strategic ship types for the European Blue Economy, for example in shortsea shipping, passenger transport and fisheries,
- Conquer emerging markets such as offshore renewable energy and carriers of alternative fuels”.
We welcome the rising interest from policymakers for the competitiveness of the maritime technology industry. In a changing world with new risks and threats, regaining industrial capacity is a factor of stability for Europe.
..concluded Christophe Tytgat.
