The Government’s Plan for Growth in the Danish Maritime Sector positions the country to become a global maritime hub by 2025.
The plan counts initiatives aimed at making Denmark a global frontrunner within tests of maritime autonomous technologies and maritime digitalisation, creating more work-experience places at sea and increasing the number of applicants admitted to the training programmes for masters and ship officers, as well as ensuring the development of an overall maritime marketing strategy in close cooperation with the industry.
The Government’s Plan for Growth is based on the recommendations made by the Maritime Strategy Team.
"With the Plan for Growth in the Danish Maritime Sector, the Government has set the course for Denmark to become a global maritime power hub by 2025. Now, all forces in the Danish maritime sector must join forces, roll up their sleeves and get to work to make the vision behind the plan for growth into reality,” says Minister for Industry, Business and Growth Brian Mikkelsen.
The Danish maritime sector is one of the country’s most important export sectors and a major supplier of jobs. However, the industry is faced with tough competition in the world market; a market undergoing rapid change as a consequence of changes to the global distribution of work, consumer behaviour and digital and technological developments.
The 36 initiatives presented in the Plan for Growth focus on individual challenges as well as on more general framework conditions.
The Plan for Growth is based on the results already achieved through the industrial and entrepreneurial agreement from November 2017. This agreement involved an extension of the application of the so-called DIS scheme (Danish International Register of Shipping) to seafarers on board offshore special ships, initial dialogue with the EU Commission about a scheme for maritime service engineers and the removal of the registration fee for merchant ships.
“When we strengthen the maritime sector we strengthen the entire country. We have made several steps towards becoming an even stronger nation in the maritime sectors by reducing taxes and fees. As minister of Taxation I am very satisfied with the new plan for growth as we continue this course”, says Karsten Lauritzen, minister of Taxation.
The agreed elimination of the fee for registration of merchant ships is already having effect, which pleases Brian Mikkelsen, the minister of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs:
“Abolishing the fee for registration has removed a substantial factor when shipping companies choose where to register their ships. The abolishment will make DIS (Danish International Register of Ships) more attractive. I see the news that Maersk will register more ships under Danish flag as a clear sign of this”, says Brian Mikkelsen.
With the plan for growth in the maritime sector the government will also aspire to develop a standard concept of island ferries. The introduction of a standard ferry will support the Danish positions of strength in maritime energy efficiency and climate and environment solutions and hence support the maritime sector and export. Areas which will strengthen international awareness attract investors and make Denmark a global maritime hub.
“The international competition for export and attracting investments is very tough. The Governments plan for growth in the maritime sector is focusing on the challenges of tomorrow, So Denmark in advance can secure a position as a leading nation in the maritime sector”, says Anders Samuelsen, minister of Foreign Affairs.
The scope of the plan for growth covers a wide spectrum of the maritime sector, and the initiatives will be implemented on an ongoing basis towards 2025 in cooperation with the industry, the two sides of industry and research and educational institutions. The ambition is that companies in the maritime sector can recruit employees with the right qualifications both now and in the future. Hence will more flexible work-experience jobs be established and the recruitment of master and ship officers programmes will be increased.
“It is important that more young people see the opportunities of a future in the maritime businesses. Education of high quality and skilled young people is essential for the maritime sector to be an important part of the future growth of Denmark”, says Søren Pind, minister of Education and Research.
Source: Danish Maritime Authority