SMM 2010 on Protecting Resources and the Eenvironment

The commitment of the maritime industry in this field is also reflected in the global maritime environmental congress (gmec), which he described as one of the many highlights during SMM 2010.

Recovery is getting under way from the global economic and financial crisis, where the shipbuilding industry suffered a significant drop in demand following years of record-breaking success. Dr. Lüken now sees economic improvements coming up for the maritime industries, even if renewed orders will not be distributed evenly throughout the world. But he notes that "The shipbuilding market remains a long-term growth market in Europe, too. The world population continues to grow rapidly, and the oceans are being used more and more intensively, not only for transport, but also in areas such as generating energy and extracting resources." At the same time, the weakness of demand in 2009 points to disruptions in global structures, and he warns that "the extent of global excess capacities and state interventions in the market gives all market participants cause for concern." A major worry for CESA is the structural difference between the Europeans and market players on other continents. He noted that the average company size in Europe is a great deal smaller, so they have less reserves to get them through lean periods.

That is why, for some time now, European shipbuilders and marine equipment suppliers have looked mainly to special-purpose ship building for their market opportunities. That does not mean certain ship types, but rather all products which are significantly different from the standard designs in the mass markets. "In view of the dynamic rate of innovation, and the rapid changes in framework conditions, such as emission levels and fuel costs, I am convinced that new, smart designs will give good opportunities in many market sectors," says Dr. Lüken. "The possibilities of presenting successful innovative technical solutions and thus gaining new markets have perhaps never been greater than today."
But the opportunities for occupying specific niches are diminishing. For example, Asian shipyards have also moved into construction of offshore special-purpose vessels. However, that does not seem to be a major cause for concern for CESA. Dr. Lüken feels that the Europeans "regularly" offer the better products in the offshore sector too, not least thanks to ongoing further development. In order to protect these innovative developments, CESA introduced its GuardSHIP initiative two years ago, with a manual on protection of intellectual property rights of European shipbuilding. There is an enormous problem of illegal copying of new technologies and products, and that includes the shipbuilding and marine equipment industries - the problem is still often underestimated, says Dr. Lüken. "Especially at a time when standard designs are practically impossible to sell, the know-how lead is the decisive factor. If we want to be successful in future, we cannot afford to neglect the protection of intellectual property rights," he warns.

On the occasion of SMM 2010, the first global maritime environmental congress (gmec) will be held on 7 and 8 September 2010. This conference brings together more than 700 high-ranking representatives from industry, government, academia, navies and environment protection organisations, to elaborate and present practical solutions for environmentally sound, sustainable shipping.