Dutch maritime companies, technology firms and knowledge institutions are joining forces to accelerate the development and testing of maritime innovations. The Scheveningen Declaration on Maritime Innovation initiative uses the high-performance world of ocean racing as a model for real-world technology development at sea.
Representatives from the maritime industry, technology companies, knowledge institutions, consultancy firms, network organisations and the Municipality of The Hague met in Scheveningen on Friday, 11 September, during an Executive Expert Meeting organised by the Dutch Maritime Mission Foundation.
The meeting focused on how Dutch organisations can better combine their knowledge, technologies, testing capacity and networks. Topics included autonomous and unmanned systems, sensing, AI and data, smart maritime technology and dual-use applications. Innovations supporting the energy transition, safety at sea and sustainable food production were also discussed.
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Scheveningen Declaration on Maritime Innovation
The meeting resulted in the Scheveningen Declaration on Maritime Innovation. The participating organisations expressed their intention to connect knowledge, technology, testing opportunities and networks, and to investigate how maritime innovations can be developed, tested and demonstrated more quickly under realistic conditions at sea.
A key element is the use of ocean racing as a “living test lab”. Similar to Formula 1, international ocean racing pushes technology and systems to their limits. Teams continuously test, evaluate and refine solutions under demanding conditions. The Dutch Maritime Mission wants to apply this approach to the wider maritime sector. The aim is to shorten the route from technological development to practical application at sea.
Towards a Dutch innovation consortium
The Declaration was endorsed by many of the organisations attending the meeting. Several others said they would first discuss it internally. The initiative is intended to form the basis for a broader Dutch maritime innovation consortium. It will have a national scope, with Scheveningen potentially serving as a home base, meeting place and North Sea test location.
From there, the initiative could connect companies, knowledge institutions and testing facilities in Scheveningen with those elsewhere in the Netherlands. The coming period will focus on developing the structure of the partnership and identifying concrete innovation and testing projects.
‘On Friday, we did not just talk about cooperation; we actually took the first step,’ says Anton van Schendel, chairman of the Dutch Maritime Mission Foundation. ‘The Netherlands has an exceptional wealth of maritime knowledge and technology. The challenge is to connect these worlds much more closely and bring innovations from idea to application at sea more quickly. The Scheveningen Declaration provides a joint starting point for this.’
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Dutch Maritime Mission
The Dutch Maritime Mission Foundation aims to accelerate Dutch maritime innovation and increase its international visibility by connecting ocean racing, technology, knowledge institutions and industry. Under the motto “Inspired by Ocean Racing. Accelerating Maritime Innovation”, the foundation is developing a programme combining top-level sport, innovation, talent development and real-world testing at sea.
Picture: Representatives from the maritime industry, technology companies, knowledge institutions, consultancy firms, network organisations and the Municipality of The Hague met on Friday, 11 September, during an Executive Expert Meeting organised by the Dutch Maritime Mission Foundation (photo Dutch Maritime Mission).
