Where in the Netherlands is there a network where government and industry work together to keep the maritime sector going? In The Hague, the government is failing badly. In Amsterdam, they prefer to fill up the port with new buildings. In Rotterdam, they are mainly concerned with the port and optimising services to shipping. In Dordrecht, with DEAL, Smart Delta Drechtsteden, they know how to find each other locally quite nicely in stimulating the maritime manufacturing industry. But when it comes to provincial government-supported initiatives to bring producers (shipyards and suppliers) and clients (shipowners) together to strengthen each other, nothing really beats Groningen.

The realisation that you have to make do with each other in the Groningen region because time and again it has become clear that you cannot count on the national government has, of course, a much longer, bitter tradition with the drama surrounding subsidence and earthquakes caused by natural gas extraction.

Fortunately, then, the provincial government in Groningen does realise that good developments usually do not come naturally and occasionally need a push in the right direction from the government.

In the North, because the maritime sector obviously does not stop at Groningen’s provincial borders, there is still a cluster of the maritime manufacturing industry that can supply almost anything you need to build a ship. That starts with three important ship design offices, Conoship, DEKC Maritime and Groot Ship Design, three important shipbuilders, Ferus Smit, Royal Bodewes and Thecla Bodewes, who each deliver several excellently functioning, modern ships a year, and all those suppliers and subcontractors who, with their engineering and installation work, ensure that you can take those ships out on the world’s seas after they have come off the slipway.

So every reason to take a look at the maritime manufacturing industry in the North of the Netherlands with SWZ|Maritime’s February 2023 issue. And none too soon either, because it is now or never. Dutch short sea shipping companies specialising in dry cargo shipping are finally making enough money again to make up for the financial losses incurred as a result of the banking crisis and make room for much-needed investments in greening their fleets. But then, of course, the new ships needed for this must be ordered at northern yards and not in China.

The articles in SWZ|Maritime’s February issue

In addition to the regular sections such as Dutch news, Markets, Maritime monthly, Global news, Book reviews, news from the KNVTS and Mars Report, the articles (some in Dutch) in the February issue are:

  • Ship financing and short sea shipping
  • PROW Capital helpt reders met verduurzaming vloot
  • Innovative systems in every ship design
  • O7 designers picks up where De Hoop left off
  • Towards 80% fewer carbon emissions by 2030
  • DEKC: Ship of the future is economical and flexible
  • Maritieme industrie in het Noorden van cruciaal belang
  • Vlootvernieuwing KNRM valt duurder uit
  • ‘Nieuwe versie 1816 is stap terug’
  • Getting a bulk carrier to meet EEXI and CII

SWZ’s February cover picture: Vertom took delivery of the Vertom Patty built by Thecla Bodewes Shipyards in December. Groot Ship Design designed the vessels of which Vertom has ordered eight (photo Flying Focus).