©I.Haar

For more than ten years, MARISSA has provided a forum for a broad range of players to discuss the topic of maritime safety and security. The MARISSA Days and symposia have highlighted many safety and security aspects, from transport logistics and safety to digital platforms, automation, and sustainability.

The issues being addressed by MARISSA are highly relevant as the safety and security requirements in maritime transport have been increasing enormously. The expansion of offshore wind energy, for example, requires measures to be taken to ensure the safety and ease of shipping in the vicinity of wind farms. In addition, the use and transport of hydrogen and ammonia in shipping has raised new safety and security issues. Technologie to guarantee safe and secure maritime transport and prevent environmental damage have become even more important.

In view of the current security policy situation, we need to focus even more on topics such as the security of critical infrastructure – the attacks on Nord Stream 1 and 2 have made this very plain. This includes not only pipelines, but also infrastructures such as wind farms, submarine cables and ports. We need to jointly address topics including technologies for physical protection, cybersecurity and the necessary regulatory framework. For this reason, issues relating to maritime safety and security will also be dealt with at this year’s National Maritime Conference, which will be held in Bremen on 14-15 September. The cluster of excellence created on the basis of the National Masterplan for Maritime Technologies will therefore continue to make an important contribution to ensuring that shipping and maritime structures remain robust and resilient. I wish you every success for this important work.

©GMT

Ocean affairs and global trade are closely interconnected with maritime safety and security matters. And indeed, the latter is the key-enabler to provide and ensure a stable and reliable “good order at sea” for the save and successful conduct of our global businesses. Therefore, maritime safety and security is a national master task!

The German National Masterplan on Maritime Technologies serves as the leading vehicle to bring researchers, industries and administration together to build and grow the national industrial footprint in the global security and defence market. Led by the German Society on Maritime Technology prominent stakeholders of the maritime safety and security market coordinate their efforts to offer first-class research, innovative products and cyber-secure digital services as ingredients for an attractive and competitive portfolio.