SEA Europe (European Ships and Maritime Equipment Association), welcomes the launch of the new LeaderSHIP 2020 strategy to increase the competitiveness of the European maritime technology industry. It was presented by Vice President of the European Commission responsible for enterprise and industry policy Antonio Tajani on the 20th of February 2013 in Brussels.

The SEA Europe will represent an Industry, which generates more than 72 billion € turnover annually and offers employment in high profile jobs for more than 500.000 Europeans. The new associations will represent close to 100% of the European shipbuilding industry in 18 Nations, encompassing the production, maintenance, repair and conversion of all types of ships and floating structures, commercial as well as naval including the full supply chain with the various producers of maritime systems, equipment material, and services.

The 2008 global financial and economic crisis has heavily impacted the business conditions in Europe and the sector. This has driven the need for LeaderSHIP 2020 reflecting an integrated approach, seeing stronger involvement of the user industries, trade unions, non-governmental organisations and European, national and regional actors.

LeaderSHIP 2020 provides a series of recommendations for the European maritime technology industry for the short to medium term to support sustainable growth, high-value jobs and address Europe’s societal challenges. Based on a strategic vision for 2020 striving for an innovative, competitive and global industry the European maritime technology stakeholders identified four pillars for action, fostering conditions for business success: “Employment and Skills”; “Improving Market Access and Fair Market Conditions”; “Access to Finance”; “Research, development and Innovation”.

SEA Europe believes that through coordinated and integrated policy action with the European Commission and maritime stakeholders the high-tech capabilities, strategic vision and long term viability of the sector can be effectively realised.

“The adoption of LeaderSHIP 2020 should not be seen as the final destination of a comprehensive consultation process”, said Douwe Cunningham, Secretary General of SEA Europe. “It provides a solid and necessary political basis for the industry to look to the future, enabling the sector to further increase its innovative and competitive edge in specialised market areas which has been one of its core strengths throughout the last decade. Now is the time that we work closely together with the European Commission and the other LeaderSHIP 2020 stakeholders in order to ensure that the recommendations are effectively implemented”.

LeaderSHIP 2020 will allow the European maritime technology industry to continue to place a strong emphasis on innovation, greening, application of new technologies and the diversification into new emerging markets, such as off-shore wind energy.