The »Marintec« as one of the most important fairs of the maritime industry is coming up again. It will be[ds_preview] a new edition in the endeavour to bring together market participants from China and the rest of the world – not only, but now also increasingly in the (supposedly) constantly growing cruise segment.
The who’s who of the industry will be there, but will the players get together?
How often is there talk about the potential for both the Chinese and the European maritime industry, but how often is there also talk about the structural challenges and the risks of one party’s business for the other? How often is it a matter of protecting trade secrets or »know-how outflow«? Of course, all these concerns are justified – for both sides. A certain amount of strategic caution is always appropriate when it comes to market shares.
But not talking to each other is no solution either. Just as little as talking at cross purposes when you have finally come together.
In a sector as interlinked as the maritime industry, with so many ties and dependencies, dialogue is always important. Eminently thereby: the discussion basis at eye level, the same language so to speak. What are we talking about and why?
Different (discussion) cultures, strategies or goals should not impede a common basis. Especially in times like these, when it is a question of a collective action for modernisation of shipping in order to comply with the ambitious environmental policy goals.
What is needed, then, is a kind of
maritime world language, an Esperanto of shipping, at least a genuine willingness to talk. Anyone who talks about the same things in the same way will probably find a solution more quickly —or one at all.
The »normal« Esperanto is said to have a relatively long tradition in China. Now a translation into the »maritime language« might still be pending, preferably addressed in Shanghai at the Marintec…
Michael Meyer
Deputy Chief Editor
HANSA International Maritime Journal
