As logistics hubs, Denmark’s ports will be vital in assuring future growth in the nation’s maritime sector. This was the message from Minister for Industry, Business and Growth Brian Mikkelsen in the wake of the launch of the new Plan for Growth in the Danish Maritime Sector presented by the Danish Government in early 2018. The Minister sees the Southwest Jutland cluster around the city of Esbjerg as a textbook example of how a port can boost development and growth.
A global maritime powerhouse. The Government’s ambition for the growth in the Danish maritime sector by 2025 was clearly stated when Minister for Industry, Business and Growth Brian Mikkelsen presented the new Plan for Growth in the Danish Maritime Sector on 22 January 2018. Denmark is currently in sixth place on the list of the world’s major shipping nations, and the Danish maritime industry ranks seventh on the global list of operator nations.
This high ranking is not an invitation for the sector to rest on its laurels, warns the Minister.
“My express objective is for Denmark’s maritime sector to be positioned even more strongly in the face of global competition by 2025 than it is today, whether in shipping, offshore or the maritime equipment industry. This means that we have to embrace and develop tomorrow’s new maritime technologies and business models, while continually ensuring that Denmark offers competitive framework conditions to ensure the attractiveness in the future of operating a maritime business in Denmark,” he says.
Port of Esbjerg’s Director Ole Ingrisch was part of the Maritime Strategy Team that drew up the recommendations for the Government’s Plan for Growth. He welcomes the finalised plan and sets great store by the fact that seafarers on Danish offshore vessels will benefit from the same taxation scheme as neighbouring countries, and that the registration fee for merchant ships seems set to be abolished.
“The Danish Government has removed a number of barriers to growth while focusing on development. This is obviously welcome, but also incredibly important given that 25% of the value of Danish exports stems from the national maritime sector, which also provides 95,000 jobs,” he says.
