German shipping must seize the opportunities offered by profound changes in the maritime sector, according to German Shipowners' Association (VDR) president Alfred Hartmann.
To do so, he is calling for a "framework", or policy document, that outlines how the government will support German shipping to keep it competitive with overseas rivals.
“Structural change is taking place largely unnoticed by the public eye. This change is fast, and it is profound,” Hartmann told politicians and shipping dignitaries at the VDR’s annual dinner in Hamburg.
Reshuffling of cards
“The cards in the game are being reshuffled. As always, new players will join us — and others will disappear.”
This presents opportunities for German shipping, provided its maritime sector is operating on a level playing field with hubs in Denmark, Norway and Singapore.
“No matter how great the challenges may seem in this reshuffling exercise, they always offer fresh opportunities,” Hartmann said.
“In order for us as shipping companies — as a shipping nation that still has the fifth-largest fleet in the world — to be able to seize these opportunities, we must be competitive.
“We need a location that gives us the framework to achieve this,” he said.
Hartmann said shipowners are preparing "concrete proposals" on how to achieve a competitive framework in Germany, based on a comprehensive comparative study to be released soon.
“What we need is tailwind instead of headwind," he said.
"At a time when ship financing is largely being abandoned by Germany ... money for investments — also for retrofitting for environmental reasons — can almost only be found abroad."
Equal opportunities
Hartmann said one of the main concerns for German shipowners was “equal opportunities in competition”.
“Not only do we compete with a location like Singapore, but also with our neighbours; with Denmark or the Netherlands, which partly offer their shipping companies more favourable framework conditions,” he said.
“We aren’t just making demands. We also give a great deal back in return.
“Against the backdrop of these challenges, it is close to a miracle that German shipping companies are still training nearly as many young people as they used to in the past.
“This is also possible thanks to the support we receive from the public sector and the Stiftung Schifffahrtsstandort Deutschland, a foundation to foster Germany as a maritime shipping location."
