‘When the bean counters took over.’ I have always remembered this particular title of a boxed text in a Dutch-language article on the competitiveness of the Dutch metalworking industry.
The article was written by Professor L.N. Reijers and R.F. Maris, both of Delft University of Technology. It dates back to 1993 and was published in MB Produktietechniek, a Dutch trade journal covering the metalworking and manufacturing industries. The magazine no longer exists. I do still have this particular issue at home, together with another fifty years or so of the magazine. I cannot put my hands on that specific issue right now, but the essence of the boxed text has stayed with me. The trouble started when the MBAs became involved in running companies and every activity was given its own profit-and-loss account.
And what was the trouble? Short-term contributions to the annual results began to outweigh investments in the future. Take a company training school, for example. What good is that? It only costs money, doesn’t it?
Another development that may have helped profitability – and shareholder dividends – in the short term was the growing emphasis on concentrating on the “core business”. Ultimately, every activity came under scrutiny: could somebody else do it more cheaply? Whether that somebody was located on the other side of the world did not seem to matter very much.
Also read: SWZ|Maritime’s July-August 2026 issue: Three roads to the same destination
Looking after ourselves
Those days have passed, and so has the conviction that everyone would inevitably be better off as a result. With today’s geopolitical turmoil and the threats that come with it, having products, components and raw materials made or sourced partly or entirely on the other side of the world suddenly does not seem quite so clever.
The realisation that we need to retain the ability to look after ourselves is hardly new. The more difficult question is what we are prepared to pay for it. And what are we prepared to sacrifice now, before circumstances force us to sacrifice things of far greater importance?
It also raises an uncomfortable question for Europe. Are we prepared to stop competing amongst ourselves if cooperation would make us stronger collectively? That question applies to every industrial sector. Including the maritime industry.
This is editor-in-chief Robin Zander’s editorial accompanying the September 2026 issue.
Also read: SWZ|Maritime’s June 2026 issue: Who’s steering?
SWZ app and archive
Our digital archive is available to subscribers both online and in our new app (available for Android and Iphone) and they can read the digitial version of our September issue there. Not yet a subscriber? Visit our subscription page.
Also read: SWZ|Maritime’s May 2026 issue: Always the skipper
The articles in SWZ|Maritime’s September issue
Our September issue features a navy special. From protecting critical underwater infrastructure and uncrewed operations to submarine innovations; naval warfare is changing. It is now up to the Royal Netherlands Navy to adapt accordingly with the help of the maritime industry. We take a closer look at current developments.
In addition, we have the regular sections such as Dutch news, Global news, Markets, book reviews, KNVTS news and Mars Report. The articles in the September issue are:
- Young talent: Jiswi Wensink, TU Delft Hydro Motion Team
- From awareness to action
- First Maritime Uncrewed Sea Trials exercise
- A structured approach to naval knowledge
- Ketentransparantie als kans voor de sector
- Accelerating underwater capability
- When ships sail through airports
- Cruise ships in Baltic Sea also targeted by Russia
- News from International Shipbuilding Progress
- Crashworthiness of a methanol inland tanker
- CEDA – Taming the Scheldt
- CEDA – Attracting and retaining the next wave of talent
Picture: On 30 June, the Royal Netherlands Navy invited the press, including SWZ|Maritime, to a live demonstration of uncrewed systems at sea as part of the first Maritime Uncrewed Sea Trials (MUST) exercise (photo Ministry of Defence, cover picture SWZ|Maritime September 2026).
Also read: SWZ|Maritime’s April 2026 issue: Dredging reimagined
