Finland targets shipbuilding growth with new industry strategy

Finland aims to protect its position among the world’s leading maritime industries as a new strategy seeks to sustain the sector’s strong growth through skills, employment and innovation, Yle reports.

The steering group that prepared the strategy handed its work to Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto on Tuesday.

Finland’s maritime industry is currently performing exceptionally well. Major shipyards have full order books because of icebreaker contracts, while other parts of the supply chain also have substantial workloads.

The strategy proposes increased investment in developing new innovations and technologies for the maritime industry. Potential areas include artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and new fuels.

“A ship project, such as building a cruise ship or an icebreaker, is a platform where innovations emerge and can develop into export products,” said Mika Nieminen, chair of Maritime Industry Finland and chief executive of the Rauma Marine Constructions shipyard.

Nieminen said the industry’s labour shortage could create opportunities to attract young people and career changers. He compared a cruise ship project to building a city, saying it involves almost every area of technology. He added that building naval and Arctic vessels could also give the work a sense of purpose.

Industry seeks 50 per cent growth by 2035

Maritime Industry Finland also published a long list of goals for future government negotiations. The proposals largely focus on the same themes as the new industry strategy.

The organisation wants to increase the domestic value added generated by the maritime industry by 50 per cent by 2035. It also wants to increase the number of people with higher education working in the sector and expand targeted training for people moving in from other industries.

Maritime Industry Finland further wants the sector to be recognised as a priority industry for Finland.

Nieminen said there were significant opportunities for growth, particularly among companies in the networks surrounding the major shipyards.

“The shipyards have a good workload, but their extensive networks have major export potential. We have more than 1,200 companies that make components, automation systems and applications, for example,” he said.

Finland’s maritime industry employs more than 30,000 people and has an annual turnover of nearly 12 billion euros.