Posted on: 18 September 2024
Maritime is central to delivering UK Government plans for national renewal, economic growth and clean energy, the new UK Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, stated as she addressed guests at the launch of London International Shipping Week 2025 (LISW25).
She told more than 300 guests at the London headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) last night (September 17) that: “Today you have my assurance that I will place this sector at the heart of this Government’s plan for a decade of national renewal, economic growth, a clean energy superpower, breaking barriers to opportunity.”
Addressing the shipping community for the first time, she pledged: “I know that many of you feel that maritime’s outsized contribution to our economy too often flies under the radar and that many of you don’t always get the recognition that you deserve. As your Transport Secretary, I will champion you and this sector at every opportunity and work with you day in and day out, not simply to secure maritime’s future, but the future of our economy and our country too.
“Whatever this Government’s mission, maritime is at the heart of delivering it. We will harness London’s world leading strengths in maritime law and insurance, will support exciting green projects up and down the country, and will breathe new economic life into our coastal communities.”
The Secretary of State commented: “The UK maritime industry is a beacon of innovation, resilience, and global influence – and London is at its core. From driving decarbonisation with new technologies, to boosting our economy with thousands of jobs across the country, the sector is thriving and London International Shipping Week is the perfect opportunity to celebrate its achievements.”
Acknowledging the need to attract young people into the maritime sector, the Secretary of State advised that the way “to make maritime a more attractive home for a new generation is through a partnership between business and working people, which can be a rising tide that lifts all of us in every corner of the country.”
LISW25 is delivered through a partnership between the UK Government, Maritime UK, and events firm Shipping Innovation. Looking ahead to LISW25, Ms Haigh said: “I believe maritime’s best days aren’t confined to history – they lie ahead of us. So tonight let’s fire the starting gun towards London International Shipping Week 2025, making it the biggest and most impactful to date.”
Welcoming guest to the LISW25 launch, John Hulmes, Chair of the Steering Group, said: “We are living in a period of rapid and constant change.”
He highlighted the recent change of Government in the UK, significant transformations in the political dynamics across the major economies of Europe, and the impending Presidential election in the USA, noting that these “will have a profound impact on geopolitics across the globe”.
He stated: “An ever constant in this period of change is London, the centre of so many key aspects of the global maritime economy. And so, when it came to deciding what is the central theme for LISW25, it was relatively straight forward – London: Managing the Winds of Change in Global Shipping.”
Later this month IMO member states will meet in London to determine how to effectively deliver the ground-breaking decarbonisation goals agreed earlier this year. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez told LISW25 guests that maritime can learn from other business sectors. “The key word for me is change,” he said. “We have the opportunity to expand our horizons. During LISW25 I am looking forward to engaging in meaningful conversations with maritime stakeholders, embracing the changes in our sector with positivity.”
Pledging to address the UK’s “sea-blindness”, Robin Mortimer, Chair of Maritime UK, highlighted that the maritime sector contributes £116 billion to the UK economy and employs 1.1 million people – larger than UK rail and aviation combined.
Speaking on behalf of the international shipping community, shipowner Dr Nikolas Tsakos, President and CEO of Tsakos Energy Navigation (TEN), outlined the long-standing and close relationship the Greek maritime community holds with the UK. “Greece has been the UK’s longest and most stable ally,” he said, urging the UK Govt to revise visa restrictions to better support international shipping companies with UK-based offices..
London International Shipping Week 2025 will take place from 15-19 of September 2025 with more than 30,000 delegates from across the globe and numerous trade delegations expected to attend. Since its inception in 2013, this biennial event has become the major showcase for London’s world-leading maritime expertise.
