Europe still has a major role to play in driving the maritime industry forward, said Tor Svensen, DNV-GL Maritime CEO, at European Shipping Week in Brussels.

"Today, 70 percent of the world's fleet is controlled from Europe. Our strong maritime clusters give us the opportunity to drive innovation. Let us use this opportunity and be thought leaders," he said.

European equipment manufacturers own a market share of 41.5 percent – and are world leaders in subsea and deepwater technology. The same applies to offshore supply vessels, passenger ships, multipurpose vessels and new giant containerships.

Svensen applauded the European maritime industry, but warned that to achieve the goal of a 60 percent to 80 percent reduction in CO2 emissions, there are still significant challenges that need to be addressed.

He emphasized sustainability and environmentally friendly technologies, Big Data and connected ship solutions as well as a new safety mindset across the whole maritime arena in order to improve its safety track record.