News: Maritime UK responds to industrial strategy consultation
Maritime UK has responded to the Government's consultation on industrial strategy.
The UK maritime sector is of strategic importance to the UK in two distinct ways:
- In its own right, it is a major economic contributor, with its net benefit to the country exceeding £22 billion and supporting over 500,000 jobs.
- At the same time, as an island nation, Britain transports 95% of its exports and imports by sea, making its maritime supply chain critical to its economic and social wellbeing.
For both of these reasons, the maritime sector will continue to underpin the future success of the country in a post-Brexit world in which global trading opportunities will have rarely been more important.
Industry has been working closely with government to implement the Maritime Growth Study. We see the industrial strategy, and a series of maritime sector deals within, as powerful tools to increase the pace of this work. Together we can ensure that the UK maritime sector is best-placed to serve the rest of the economy, and enhance its role as competitive, innovative and dynamic world-leading sector.
The green paper is a welcome start to the development of an industrial strategy for the UK.
The Maritime UK response covers the following areas:
- Science, research and innovation investment
- Developing skills
- Infrastructure
- Finance
- Encouraging business to start and grow
- Procurement
- International trade
- Inward investment
- Local growth
- Sector deals
The consultation response signals Maritime UK's intent to coordinate a series of ambitious sector deal bids for the maritime sector, which can ensure the sector is best placed to enable 'Global Britain's export ambitions, and develop UK competitive advantage in a number of maritime technology areas.
Next Steps
Maritime UK will shortly be releasing details of a maritime industrial strategy conference, to explore proposed sector deal bids.
General Election
Maritime UK has clearly stated that despite the UK general election, work on the industrial strategy should continue. David Dingle, Maritime UK Chairman, said:
"Maritime is central to the UK’s industrial strategy – both in terms of enabling swift and efficient global trade and by advancing innovation and boosting exports of our own maritime products and services. Both of which will help boost productivity and deliver growth across the whole country. Regardless of the outcome of this election, this timely work must continue.