The two-day European Shipbuilding Conference was officially opened in Nuremberg yesterday by Michael Glos, Federal Minister of Economics, and by Dagmar G. Wöhrl who, in addition to serving as Parliamentary State Secretary in the Economics Ministry, is also the Federal Government's Maritime Coordinator.
In his speech before 150 leading representatives from business, trade unions, and government (including Vice President of the EU Commission Günter Verheugen) from 15 European countries, Minister Glos pointed to the shipbuilding industry's dynamic trend and excellent market prospects.
"The European shipbuilding industry is a high-tech branch with a future; it is an important economic factor and competitive locational asset. It also plays a pioneering role for environmental and climate protection. The increase in turnover by European shipyards is unrivalled and underlines its strong competitiveness. This is an important basis for meeting the challenges of the future. But we now have to lay the roadbed properly so that Europe's advanced technological position and market leadership in shipbuilding may be safeguarded in the long term," according to Glos.
The first European Shipbuilding Conference is part of the German government's program during its EU Council Presidency. The event is aimed at launching a European dialogue to ensure that European shipbuilding remains competitive into the future. The Conference is focusing on the question of how the goals of the LeaderSHIP 2015 Initiative, with which the European shipbuilding industry has set forth an ambitious program for the future, may be achieved. In this connection, important discussion points are, in particular, the creation of equal conditions for competition on world markets, the establishment of a European guarantee fund for ship financing, and an increase of investments in research, development, and innovation.
Maritime Coordinator Ms. Dagmar G. Wöhrl emphasized that a common shipbuilding strategy at European level was absolutely necessary and that it was important to integrate all of the major players at the European and national levels. Wöhrl: "We have to do all that it takes - and this is a core message of the Conference - to continue the success of LeaderSHIP 2015." I therefore emphatically support the proposal for a second phase of the Program, one in which the Member States participate more directly."
