German shipbuilding association VSM has laid into a government bid to save local shipyard Meyer Weft at TradeWinds Shipowners Forum at SMM, Hamburg, Germany.
Reinhard Luken, managing director of VSM, viewed the German government’s last-ditch attempt as more reactionary than assessing the longer-term issues it said needed to be addressed in the country.
Luken said: “Everybody understands that [Meyer Weft] is of strategic importance, but then when it comes to action on adopting measures that would really make a difference, we are moving like a snail, ie really, really slowly.”
The German government announced in August that it was working on a deal to secure the future of Meyer Werft, a 229-year-old shipyard and one of the world’s largest cruise ship builders.
During a visit to the company on 22 August, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz assured workers that he vows to keep the luxury shipbuilder afloat.
Scholz also gave an impassioned video message during the opening session of SMM, along with vice chancellor and federal minister for economic affairs and climate action Robert Habeck emphasising the importance of maritime.
However, Dieter Janecek, the government’s coordinator for maritime economy and tourism, added that the government will support Meyer Werft, no question, because they “have to” rather than “want to”.
Asked by TradeWinds’ editor-in-chief Julian Bray if this raises some serious questions, considering that Meyer Werft makes up 80% of German civil shipbuilding, Luken was pressed whether he was concerned with the political overtones, despite the support that has been pledged.
Luken said: “Frankly speaking, yes. We are not really walking the talk in terms of political rhetoric.
“They understood the importance of this cornerstone in the ecosystem of the maritime industry in Germany.
“That’s why it’s good that they are doing it, but we really should not just jump in when we have an actual emergency. We should prepare the ground and have competitive conditions so we can be profitable in normal times, that is the key factor.”
Luken also highlighted the fact the world was coming to Hamburg for SMM every two years showing that there is still a lot of competence in not only Germany but in Europe.
“I think we have all the ingredients for success, but maybe we have to remind politicians even more than doing the walk of their talk. But I think we are progressing at least,” he said.
