After an early summer prominently featuring the FIFA World Cup, we turn our attention to another team effort: the maritime industry. When SMM opens its doors in Hamburg, it will not just be the inter-national maritime community gathering. The world will be watching an industry that, like few others, stands for innovation, industrial strength, and relevance to security policy.
The German shipbuilding community is heading into SMM with strong momentum. All key market segments for high-end ships, as well as maritime equipment and systems, are characterized by strong demand. Several large-volume investment decisions in re-cent months favoring German technology have grabbed the head-lines. German shipyards and suppliers are in demand worldwide, are on a growth trajectory, and provide secure, long-term employ-ment at their home locations.
But success does not happen by chance. Behind every order are years of development, highly qualified employees, state-of-the-art production processes, and companies prepared to invest for the long term. The German maritime industry excels wherever quality, reliability, and cutting-edge technology are required.
SMM provides an ideal platform to showcase this strength. It demonstrates the diversity of our sector: from naval and spe-cial-purpose shipbuilding and offshore technologies to marine engineering, automation, and climate-friendly propulsion systems.
Increasing digitalization and the rapid integration of artificial intel-ligence and automation are opening up entirely new possibilities – from smarter ship design and more efficient production to predic-tive maintenance and autonomous maritime operations. German engineering is helping to shape this next chapter of maritime in-novation.
At the same time, SMM is also a meeting place for customers, partners, policymakers, and young professionals from around the world. Looking ahead is particularly important. Climate change will continue to reshape the maritime sector, regardless of how quickly policymakers provide regulatory clarity. The need to reduce emis-sions, improve efficiency, and strengthen resilience will remain a defining challenge.
In parallel, the pursuit of greater efficiency through digital tech-nologies, automation, and innovation will continue to drive invest-ment and competitiveness across the industry. Alongside the mar-itime energy transition, the protection of critical infrastructure at sea, the safeguarding of maritime supply chains, and the growing demands on Europe’s defense capabilities, these developments will shape our industry for decades to come. This presents enormous opportunities – but seizing them will require the right political and economic framework.
I look forward to many exciting encounters at SMM in Hamburg
