Cooperation needed in maritime industry to face its many problems

MAJOR players in the shipping industry have come up with 41 ideas to address some of the most important problems facing the global maritime industry, according to a Danish Maritime Days report.

The report was the result of the inaugural Danish Maritime Forum that was attended by 200 business leaders, government officials, experts and other influential decision-makers in the maritime industry.

 Together they addressed the challenge of how to meet the estimated demand for transporting 20 billion tonnes of cargo annually - doubling current volumes - by 2030, London's Tanker Operator reported.

 "In an effort to turn the estimated demand growth challenge into an opportunity, the participants in the Forum came up with 41 new ideas and tangible actions," said Danish Maritime Days secretary general Flemming Jacobs. 

 "However, these are just the beginning. Ultimately, our goal is to unleash the full potential of the global maritime industry."

 The need for more collaboration across the entire global industry and all relevant stakeholders is one of the key messages in the report. 

 Said Mr Jacobs: "To meet some of the most important challenges that the global maritime industry is facing the participants in the Danish Maritime Forum agreed that all stakeholders from the entire maritime value chain must be involved." 

 They include "shipowners, shipyards, equipment manufacturers, the financial community, charterers, cargo owners, port operators, trade unions, NGOs, academia, multilateral institutions and government officials".

 The report suggests the industry can increase its positive impact on globalisation and human well-being by significantly reducing its environmental impact while still growing. The participants see smart global regulation and innovation as important steps to achieve this.

 "The report states that significant investment and a better integration between maritime and connected infrastructure would be a major enabler for growth, especially when it comes to the emerging economies," Mr Jacobs added.