Damen presentation to Dutch minister
(Posted on 31/01/19)
On 28th January 2019, Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, visited Rotterdam to meet Damen Shipyards Group and other Dutch maritime industry leaders.
Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen heard presentations from Damen, Van Oord and other key representatives of the country’s thriving maritime industry.
The presentations took place on a Damen vessel, FCS 2610, which transported the minister, officials and maritime industry representatives from the head office of Hatenboer-Water in Schiedam, along the Nieuwe Maas, to the head office of Van Oord in Rotterdam.
Damen Shipyards Group operates 35 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 12,000 people worldwide. The company has delivered more than 6,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers some 160 vessels annually to customers worldwide.
René Berkvens, CEO of the Damen Group, said, “We were happy to welcome Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen to Rotterdam today, and we appreciate her continued interest in, and strong support of, our maritime sector. Face-to-face meetings like this help to inform the government policies, programmes, regulations and infrastructure changes needed to foster new technologies and business growth.”
Three industry leaders gave the minister presentations on innovations and developments in: maritime technology (speaker Bas Buchner, President, Maritime Research Institute Netherlands); water technology (speaker Willem Buijs, CEO of Hatenboer-Water); and delta technology (speaker Hendrik Postma, Chairman of the Association of Marine Contractors).
Other participants contributed to the themes of ‘clean’, ‘smart’ and ‘safe’. These were respectively: speaker Peter Paul van Voorst, Founder of Skoon Energy; speaker Toine Cleophas, Manager Research at Damen Shipyards Group; and four students from Delft University of Technology, who demonstrated new emergency flotation and stability devices.
Particular topics included ‘better ships, cleaner oceans’, private-public partnerships, autonomous shipping, electric shipping, digitalisation, and ship management mobile apps.
The maritime sector is part of the top sector ‘Water and Maritime’ – one of the Government’s nine priority, high growth, export-oriented sectors of the economy. The Netherlands has long been a world leader in maritime engineering and water management, which encompass activities such as shipbuilding, hydraulic engineering, waterway engineering, land reclamation, dredging, flood protection, water treatment, and energy generation.
Latest News
Posidonia 2026 takes centre stage amid global freedom of navigation challenges
(Posted on 29/05/26)From insurance and risk management to energy transition, digitalisation and maritime security, the Posidonia... Read more
First maritime compliance & prevention-focused organisation, PaS, joins DBCE
(Posted on 29/05/26)Prevention at Sea (PaS), a leading maritime compliance, auditing, and digital solutions provider, has... Read more
NorthStandard reports strong results and strategic momentum
(Posted on 29/05/26)NorthStandard has reported strong financial results, continued strategic progress and enhanced support... Read more
Latest guidance for vessel transit through Strait of Hormuz
(Posted on 25/05/26)Hundreds of vessels remain unable to transit the Strait of Hormuz and, in the event of a return to more... Read more
The Bahamas regains QUALSHIP 21 eligibility
(Posted on 25/05/26)The Bahamas has regained eligibility for the United States Coast Guard’s QUALSHIP 21 programme... Read more
First dedicated STS standard for dry bulk released by INTERCARGO
(Posted on 22/05/26)Ship to ship (STS) transfers are an established part of dry bulk operations, and they are growing. As... Read more
Columbia reinforces commitment to maritime talent
(Posted on 22/05/26)Columbia Group has strengthened its commitment to developing the next generation of maritime professionals... Read more
Jamaica marks 50 years at IMO with call for island states to shape future
(Posted on 22/05/26)The Maritime Authority of Jamaica has marked Jamaica’s 50th anniversary as a member of the International... Read more
Costamare Bulkers logs first profit after Cargill deal removes most legacy trading
(Posted on 14/05/26)Costamare Bulkers Holdings Limited has reported unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended... Read more
NORDEN strengthens fleet with the addition of four Handysize vessels
(Posted on 13/05/26)NORDEN have announced that they have expanded their fleet with the purchase of four dry cargo Handysize... Read more
