As a leading Europort cooperation partner, SEA Europe is a strong supporter of craftsmanship and entrepreneurship in the marine industry. The Rotterdam-based event’s timing in the fall of 2021 makes it a "must-visit” for established maritime companies and start-ups alike, the trade association says.
 

Maritime industry association SEA Europe recently ran the project for Upskilling Shipbuilding Workforce in Europe (USWE) alongside industriAll Europe, Basque VET Applied Research Centre and Turku University of Applied Science. With the goal of identifying "the main skills gaps in relation to key megatrends, notably decarbonisation and digitalisation”, the initiative reflects SEA Europe’s commitment to promoting entrepreneurship and craftsmanship in the European maritime sector.
 

Maintaining world-leader status

Since bringing USWE to a successful conclusion, SEA Europe and its project partners have established an EU Pact for Skills for shipbuilding and maritime technology to safeguard Europe’s world-leading status in these segments. The latest initiative will provide a key talking point for the Belgium-based organisation during its participation at Europort 2021.
 

Craftsmanship on show

Representing close to one hundred per cent of the continent’s shipbuilding industry, SEA Europe is also a supporting partner of Europort. The association’s secretary general, Christophe Tytgat, discusses Europort’s role in providing a platform for innovation in vessel construction and marine solutions:
 

"SEA Europe fully supports Europort as an event showcasing the capacity of European shipyards to build the most complex vessels in the world and contribute towards the realisation of zero-emissions shipping. Equally, the show offers an opportunity for European maritime equipment manufacturers to present the wide variety of cutting-edge systems and technologies that make ships greener, safer and more digitised - even enabling automation and autonomy in certain processes.”
 

Calling all entrepreneurs

Like SEA Europe and the USWE initiative, this year’s edition of Europort aims to underline the significance of a highly accomplished workforce in shaping the future of shipping and shipbuilding. With 'Next Generation: Embracing the new’ as a primary theme, the event is calling on young professionals and forward-thinkers to join the conversation and share their ideas.
 

A must-visit for maritime companies

"Europort is a must-visit not only for larger maritime companies but also for the SMEs, start-ups and entrepreneurs looking to bring their innovations to the market, find customers and establish partnerships with other stakeholders,” says Tytgat. "The event provides a stage on which skilled special-purpose shipbuilders and technology providers - both established and new - can demonstrate their remarkable value to European and global shipping.”