News: Ship horns ring across the UK as maritime industry celebrates progress during pandemic

2050 Conference


Ship horns ring across the UK as maritime industry celebrates progress during pandemic

  • Ships around the world sounded their horns at noon Friday 25 June to mark the International Day of the Seafarer 
  • Industry leaders and three government ministers marked the occasion at a conference looking at the future of the UK’s maritime sector post-pandemic 
  • The summit celebrated major achievements since 2019 and Maritime UK calls for further collaboration and funding from government and industry for the sector to reach net zero

Ship crews around the world sounded their horns as part of an industry-wide celebration on Friday 25 June to mark the International Day of the Seafarer. 

To recognise the invaluable contribution of seafarers worldwide, particularly throughout the pandemic, Maritime UK urged British vessels to join the global horn sounding at noon, spearheaded by the International Chamber of Shipping. 

The International Day of the Seafarer also saw an industry-wide summit in Liverpool, organised by Maritime UK in partnership with Mersey Maritime and the Department for Transport, where industry and government discussed the future of UK maritime after the pandemic.

Sarah Kenny, Chair of Maritime UK, said:

“Throughout this pandemic, our seafarers have been among the best of us. From the beginning, they have selflessly worked on the frontline to ensure crucial global supply chains continue in the most challenging of circumstances.

“We are proud to celebrate their work and to look ahead to what could be a very promising future for our seafarers, and our industry, as we begin to emerge from this crisis.

“Our sector has the ambition and the knowhow to lead the world. However, we will need more collaboration and funding from both government and industry to kickstart our journey to net zero and realise our full potential of becoming a green shipbuilding superpower.”

Attended by leading industry figures, alongside Maritime Minister Robert Courts, Innovation Minister Amanda Solloway and Minister for International Trade, Graham Stuart, the conference highlighted the continuing relevance of the Maritime 2050 strategy, first published in 2019 as a route map for both government and industry towards a progressive and sustainable maritime future.

The conference was accompanied by the launch of Maritime UK’s ‘Maritime 2050: Where are we now?’ report, developed in partnership with industry and with input from government, which highlighted major milestones and successes since 2019.

These include new funding for maritime innovation and research and development through initiatives such as the government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition. The establishment of the cross-sector collaborative body MarRI-UK, to coordinate innovation in areas including autonomous shipping, and the Maritime Skills Commission to ensure the industry has access to the best talent. 

The report also highlighted the announcement of the first eight freeports in England, allowing companies importing and exporting from the UK to operate under simplified customs, tax, and planning rules. As well as the government’s leadership on the climate and the decarbonisation of maritime, being among the first in the world to publish a Clean Maritime Plan and to include the UK’s share of international shipping emissions within national carbon targets.

However, Maritime UK has also separately called for the government’s vision and strategy on decarbonisation to be backed up with investment, with £1billion needed for the UK’s industry to reach net zero and to become a green shipbuilding superpower, which would generate 73,300 skilled jobs across the country.  

Chris Shirling-Rooke, Chief Executive of Mersey Maritime, added: 

“The Liverpool City Region is one of the powerhouse maritime centres of the United Kingdom, with a proud history and huge ambition for the future. 

“Our first Mersey Maritime Exchange Conference heralded the start of the Maritime 2050 report and we were delighted to host the latest event to reflect on recent achievements but also look forward to what needs to be delivered next. This region will continue to play a full part in driving forward many of the ambitions that are so crucial to our future success.

“From decarbonisation and job creation to delivering the next generation of innovative entrepreneurs and skills, we are determined to maximise the opportunities before us. And as the largest west facing port in the country, we are well placed to realise everything that global Britain means for increased international trade and prosperity.”

The maritime sector contributes £46.1 billion to the national economy every year and supports 1.1 million jobs. The industry also directly enables 95% of Britain’s global trade.

The decarbonisation of the maritime sector will be crucial to reaching net zero goals. While transporting goods by sea is by far the most carbon efficient mode of transport, the sheer volume of traffic means shipping and its associated activity still accounts for between 2-3% of global emissions. 

The conference and recently launched report aim to create a starting point for further engagement between government and industry about the future of the UK maritime sector, and the collaborative efforts needed to tackle the great challenges of our time, such as climate change and digitalisation. 

Download the Maritime 2050 progress report below.