The industrial policy seminar in Nuuk has identified the potential for and barriers to maritime growth in the Arctic regions.
More than 70 persons from Danish and Greenland companies, organisations and authorities met for a maritime industrial policy seminar in Nuuk on 2 and 3 September 2014.
Greenland Minister of Health and Infrastructure Steen Lynge opened the seminar. He stressed the importance of increased growth in the maritime industries in Greenland – while keeping focus on safety of navigation and environmental considerations.
Furthermore, he attached great importance to maintaining and developing the good cooperative relationship between Denmark and Greenland in the future.
The participants got an updated insight into Greenland and Danish perspectives on the maritime potential in the Arctic regions.
And there was an animated debate on the preliminary results of the analysis of the barriers to and potential for the maritime industries in the Arctic regions launched by the Danish Maritime Authority. There was general agreement among the participants about the importance of enhancing the cooperative relationship between companies and authorities as well as between Greenland and Denmark. In addition, a need was identified to strengthen maritime, arctic competences in light of the growth potential and the coming Polar Code. Now, the various inputs will be included in the ongoing analytical work.
Deputy Director-General of the Danish Maritime Authority Birgit Sølling Olsen says, “This seminar is a good example of a constructive cooperative relationship between the Danish and Greenland authorities. I am pleased that in Nuuk we succeeded in gathering quite a lot of the key Danish and Greenland players in the maritime industries in the Arctic regions. We have competent maritime companies, but developments are to a great extent characterized by uncertainty. Therefore, it is important to get together, exchange the experience gained and share our knowledge.”
The Danish Maritime Authority, the Greenland Ministry of Health and Infrastructure and the Greenland Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources had arranged the seminar together with the Danish Shipowners’ Association and Danish Maritime.