The Dutch maritime industry has been rejuvenating after many years of depression.

Chairman of the Netherlands Maritime Technology (NMT) trade association Bas Ort said that the country's shipbuilders has gained many orders in 2017. The orderbook totaled 93 vessels with a combined tonnage of 437,000 CGT. According to Bas Ort, the yards mainly received the orders for cutter suction dredgers and super yachts.

However, the global orderbooks decreased even more, and a number of yards found themselves in difficulties. The effects were especially visible in China and South Korea.

“The only way for the global shipbuilding industry to survive is constant innovation and a focus on fair international competition,” Bas Ort says.

“This is why NMT continued its efforts to once again get a subsidy for innovations in new vessels up and running in 2017. We remain committed to a level playing field, both outside and within Europe. Meanwhile, more and more companies are also seeing that the Netherlands is in a position to become one of the international leaders in making shipping more sustainable.”

A strong Green Deal between the sector and the national government (as announced in the Dutch coalition agreement in 2017) should help in this context.

“The coming years will see all kinds of environmental regulations come into force that affect shipping. Our yards and maritime suppliers have the innovative solutions required to supply vessels, and technologies that meet the most stringent requirements. Public authorities, vessel owners and maritime suppliers will have to work together to fulfil our stated ambition of maintaining a level playing field in this context too.”