From the magazine – The maritime sector has every reason to be pleased, and judging by the reactions, it is. No fewer than four major maritime projects have been included in the list of 51 project proposals compiled by former ASML CEO Peter Wennink in his report “A strong Netherlands in a relevant Europe”.
In every issue of SWZ|Maritime, SWZ|Maritime’s editor Antoon Oosting writes an opinion piece under the heading “Markets” about the maritime industry or a particular sector within it. In the January 2026 issue, he discusses the Wennink report and its implications for the maritime sector. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher (the SWZ Foundation), the KNVTS, or other editors.
This independent advice to politicians and the government, prepared at the request of the outgoing Schoof cabinet, responds to the request to translate the Draghi report, which outlines the future of European earning capacity, into the Dutch context. The maritime projects mentioned in the report are the Shipyard of the Future, Smart Maritime, Robotisation of Offshore Wind, and Nuclear Propulsion of Ships.
The report recognises the maritime sector’s importance for the future Dutch economy. In fact, Wennink has included four of the five research projects proposed in the Maritime Manufacturing Industry Sector Agenda, launched in October 2023 under the motto “No guts, no Dutch glory!”.
According to Wennink, over a thousand experts from the business community, academia and government contributed to his report. Together, they developed 51 proposals with a total investment potential of € 126 billion, most of which will be provided by the private sector. The projects are divided into five categories: Digitalisation and AI, Security and Resilience, Energy and Climate Technology, Life Sciences and Biotech, and Prerequisite Infrastructure.
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Frontrunner projects of strategic importance
The maritime project proposals are an important part of the Wennink report. ‘We have succeeded in getting four frontrunner projects from the Sector Agenda into the Wennink report. This means that Mr Wennink recognises the potential of these projects and advises the government to encourage these projects so that they are fully implemented. This is a great boost for the sector, and we have worked hard for this from the sector organisations in collaboration with the national maritime manufacturing industry agency,’ says Sander den Heijer, programme director of the Maritime Manufacturing Industry Sector Agenda at the Dutch Maritime Network (Nederland Maritiem Land, NML), on LinkedIn.
In addition to the frontrunner projects, the development of a maritime small modular reactor (SMR) by Allseas has also been identified as a project with a major social impact.
Bas Buchner, chairman of maritime lobby organisation NML and programme director for Maritime Unmanned Systems, is also delighted: ‘Great maritime projects in the Wennink report: Maritime is essential for our Dutch earning capacity, our security and our energy transition!’
According to Buchner, Wennink also recognises the strategic importance of the entire Dutch maritime sector for the country’s national economy: ‘In this report, the maritime sector has been identified as a sector that is important for a strong and prosperous Netherlands. This is in line with the conclusions of the report by the Hague Centre of Strategic Studies (HCSS), which forms the basis for the Sector Agenda for the Maritime Manufacturing Industry. As a sector, we are pleased with the attention paid to the contribution we make to the Netherlands and can make in the future. The fact that Mr Wennink has now also come to this conclusion confirms what we have been saying for many years: the maritime sector is of vital national importance to the Netherlands.’
Clear route
Satisfaction was also expressed by Maritime & Offshore NL. According to this trade association, the Wennink report outlines ‘a clear route to a prosperous, safe and sustainable Netherlands.’ The organisation feels that the report highlights the strategic role of the maritime sector, fully in line with the maritime sector agenda “No guts, no Dutch glory!”. Maritime & Offshore NL states that the Dutch maritime sector is innovative, internationally leading and crucial to our earning capacity and our strategic interests: from energy independence and energy transition to water safety, vital infrastructure in the North Sea and military security.
The trade association also says it has worked intensively in recent months to emphasise the importance of a strong sector. ‘We did this together with Nederland Maritiem Land and the KVNR on the basis of concrete project proposals that contribute to innovation, sustainability and international competitiveness.’
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Proactive approach
Maritime & Offshore NL is working on five lines of action to create strong preconditions: simple regulations, accessible financing, targeted innovation, sufficient scope for entrepreneurship and qualified personnel. ‘With results: a total of more than € 650 million in projects from our sector has been included in the Wennink report.’
Maritime & Offshore NL’s call to the new cabinet is: ‘Take proactive action on the report and vigorously pursue innovative, national maritime industrial policy. Together, we are building a future-proof maritime sector and a strong Netherlands.’ Dutch shipowners association KVNR feels Wennink’s report sets the tone for a stronger earning capacity in the Netherlands: ‘We endorse his call to opt for strategic technologies, including the SMR project of KVNR member Allseas. This project has rightly been identified as one of the investment propositions with which growth opportunities and strategic positions can be unlocked.’
Timely realisation is crucial
Yet, the KVNR remarks that timely realisation of preconditions is crucial. The report also points to crucial preconditions for a better business climate, such as less regulatory pressure, accelerating permits, infrastructure for the energy transition, affordable and reliable energy and targeted investments in sectors in which the Netherlands can excel internationally. ‘Only with these conditions can shipowners compete worldwide, can employment in the Netherlands be maintained and can we secure our future earning capacity.’
For the maritime sector, there are great opportunities in sustainability, through alternative fuels and innovative propulsion such as nuclear. But success requires rapid permits, scaling up of clean(er) fuels and international regulations, KVNR emphasises. In a call to government, the KVNR stipulates that it is now up to the forming parties to anchor these choices in the coalition agreement and to set the course to achieve these preconditions in time. If we don’t, we will miss out on potential earning capacity and lose competitiveness to other countries.
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Shipyard of the Future and Smart Maritime
The Shipyard of the Future project aims to improve competitiveness by reducing lead times, cutting costs and promoting product innovation, with many maritime companies involved. The initiative aims to build state-of-the-art strategic vessels (such as naval ships, offshore vessels and dredgers), reduce costs through digitisation and robotisation, and solve the staff shortage. The project will run from 2026 to 2032 and requires an investment of € 100 million, half of which will come from the public sector and the rest from the private sector.
The Smart Maritime project focuses on the development of a defence-civil innovation ecosystem to accelerate the development of smart maritime autonomous technologies (dual-use) to protect critical infrastructure on and under the North Sea and make maritime operations in our waters safer and more efficient. This project has a planned duration of five years and requires an investment of € 268 million, half of which is public funding.
Robotisation Wind at Sea and nuclear propulsion
The Robotisation Wind at Sea project aims to make the construction and maintenance of offshore wind turbines smarter through technological innovation, vertical chain integration and standardisation. The initiative supports both construction and maintenance, making them safer, faster and cheaper. This project is scheduled to run from 2027 to 2030 and requires an investment of € 150 million, most of which will come from public funds. This is a joint research project between the dredging companies Van Oord, Boskalis and the Dutch branch of the Belgian company DEME, Huisman and SIF Foundations.
Allseas’ Nuclear Propulsion of Ships project is working on the preconditions for the application of safe, compact nuclear energy as an emission-free and strategically independent energy source for maritime, including the Dutch navy. The technology to be developed can also be applied on land. This project runs from 2024 to 2033 and requires a € 135 million investment, of which € 60 million must come from public funds.
The company’s SMR project aims to build a small-scale SMR of 25 MWe/70 MWth suitable for generating electricity and high-temperature heat. This flagship project offers the Netherlands the opportunity to gain a unique position in Europe and worldwide with its own nuclear technology. The project requires an investment of € 241 million, of which € 32.5 million must come from public funds. The aim is to develop a first-of-a-kind SMR. In addition to Allseas as project leader, a large number of Dutch companies and research institutes are also involved.
New land reclamation Port of Rotterdam
Wennink finally also proposes a substantial investment in the development of the Port of Rotterdam with a new land reclamation of 1000 hectares to create space for economic growth, energy and resilience. This project is scheduled to run from 2025 to 2034 and requires an investment of € 5 billion, half of which must come from public funds.
Respond to this article by sending an e-mail to Robin Zander, SWZ|Maritime’s editor-in-chief: redactie@swzmaritime.nl.
Cartoon by Hans de Wilde/SWZ|Maritime.
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