Maritime experts

Anyone who believes that a ship with modern equipment is a product from northern Germany should take a look at the suppliers from inland areas. The maritime high-tech industry is particularly well represented in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.

Many companies based in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria are considered indispensable and traditionally occupy a central position in the overall structure of the German maritime industry and economy. With an annual turnover of over ten billion euros and more than 60,000 jobs, they generate around 20 per cent of maritime value added in Germany and provide 15 per cent of jobs. It was no coincidence that the 11th National Maritime Conference (NMK) was held in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance in 2019, as it was also intended to emphasise the outstanding importance of the powerful and innovative maritime industry in the south of the country. The motto of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure at the NMK was: global - smart - green. This defined the core objectives of a maritime strategy for our country with a view to the future: free and open markets for all competitors (global), exploiting the opportunities of automation and digitalisation (smart) and shaping the sustainability of shipping (green).
The NMK emphasised the importance of the south as a maritime producer, supplier, outfitter and developer for shipbuilding in the north and for exports. "If we were by the sea, we would build ships," a maritime industry representative from southern Germany remarked confidently. The industrial companies in the south are primarily suppliers of sensor and weapon equipment, propulsion technology, system monitoring, ship operating technology, communication equipment and electronics as well as equipment.