German and European companies dominating the cruise ship newbuilding market must follow structural changes in order to be successful in[ds_preview] this sector in China as well. Experts invite to a workshop
At the »Marine Interiors« trade fair in Hamburg in September, Hauke Schlegel from the VDMA association reported on the success of the German supplier industry in the global cruise industry with a turnover of over 11 bn €. The share of deliveries and services of German companies to the Chinese market in this ship segment is nevertheless limited in terms of potential. It is largely owed to European investors who put European suppliers on the makers lists.
The shipyards AVIC Weihai, Jinling, China Merchants HI, Shanghai Waigaoqiao (SWS), Xiamen and Guangzhou as well as COSCO HI are increasingly building passenger ships for use in domestic waters, in South/East Asia and now also for voyages to the Arctic, in addition to the export share.
On 18 October 2019, the keel for the first large cruise ship of the CSSC Group was laid in Shanghai. The Italian shipyard Fincantieri and the minority partner Carnival are supplying the complete know-how for six planned buildings based on the Vista class (more than 5,000 passengers at 165,000 GT). Under the joint responsibility of CSSC these cruise ships will be built at SWS, as reported by HANSA.
This means that a large part of the industry’s knowledge will be transferred to the Chinese partners. They have ambitious goals, because the Chinese middle class wants to travel more on their own Chinese cruise ships and is already using the terminals in Shanghai-Baoshan, Xiamen or Shekou near Shenzhen for this purpose.
In order to link the supply chain close to shipyards, China has launched promotional measures that can also be applied to qualified German suppliers. In concrete terms, this involves the establishment of an industrial park in northern Shanghai in the Baoshan district. The first 2 km² of a total area of 21 km² will be jointly marketed by CCTD and the Shanghai Baoshan Industrial Park (SBIP).
Their partner Volkmar Wasmansdorff from Movena GmbH (Bremen/Shanghai), recently reported that SBIP has over 6 bn € available to support companies that will locate here. Support will be given to qualified manufacturers and service providers of »green technologies«, R&D facilities and regional offices in the fields of cruise ship construction, new materials, intelligent manufacturing technologies and new storage technologies for vehicles.
In the run-up to Marintec on 28/29 November in Shanghai-Baoshan, Wasmansdorff will for the first time organise a workshop on the subject of »cruise ship construction« and promotional measures in cooperation with the SBIP Management Commission and CCTD. The aim is to provide interested manufacturers with first-hand information on Chinese strategy and business opportunities. »With the development of local competence and supply chains, the necessary import share will be drastically reduced. Those who are not in Baoshan will hardly find themselves on a maker’s list,« says the expert.
Detailed information on the workshop can be found at www.m-ocean.info
