News: HRH The Princess Royal to welcome global maritime leaders to London International Shipping Week

HRH The Princess Royal will officially welcome five hundred of the world’s leading maritime executives, diplomats and heads of government to the UK for London International Shipping Week in September.

The Princess Royal, who is Patron of Maritime UK, will launch LISW 2019 in the regal surroundings of Banqueting House alongside the Minister for Maritime, Nusrat Ghani MP, the Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, and Maritime UK Chair, Harry Theochari.

The Princess is a well-known champion of the maritime sector, serving as Master of Trinity House, and actively supporting key Maritime UK programmes including Maritime Masters and its recent trade mission to Chile.

London International Shipping Week is one of the largest maritime events in the world, where maritime leaders come to do business, with over 200 events across the city and 20,000 individuals attending. From 9 – 13 September a packed programme of conferences, seminars and networking receptions will be peppered with major announcements by industry and government on the future of the UK’s £40bn maritime sector.

Five hundred of the world’s foremost maritime leaders will gather in the heart of Whitehall, with diplomats, ministers, major shipowners, port operators, manufacturers, financiers and technologists expected to attend the reception hosted by the Department for Transport and Maritime UK.  

With 95% of all trade enabled by the maritime sector, the sector has risen to the top of the political agenda in recent years, with greater focus in national debate around global trade.

Across the world, the UK is regarded as one of the world’s leading maritime centres. With particular pre-eminence in professional maritime services; covering law, insurance, finance and shipbroking. In January government published its first long-term strategy for the sector, Maritime 2050. The strategy sets out the steps both industry and government should take to ensure the UK remains a leading maritime centre in the future. The strategy estimates that the global maritime sector will be worth $3 trillion by 2030.

The Maritime Minister, Nusrat Ghani, said:

“London International Shipping Week will be a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the incredible achievements of our Maritime sector to global industry leaders, highlighting that the UK is the place to come for maritime business.

“I am delighted that The Princess Royal will be joining us at Banqueting House for one of the many key events held throughout the week to showcase the UK’s maritime sector to the world.”

Maritime UK Chair, Harry Theochari, said:

“The Princess Royal is a tremendous champion for our maritime industries, and we’re delighted that she will be joining us at Banqueting House when we welcome the maritime world to London. The UK is an island, maritime nation, and our future prosperity rests on the strength of our maritime sector. Industry has been working incredibly closely with government, not least through Maritime 2050, and London International Shipping Week is our opportunity to show the world our plans and the strength of that relationship underpinning our success.”

The reception at Banqueting House is sponsored by Lloyd’s Register, Associated British Ports, DonMac Data, Watson Farley Williams, SEA20 and The Standard Club.