LeaderSHIP4Skills Partners Gather in Trieste to Discuss the Future of Maritime Skills
The LeaderSHIP4Skills project brought together project partners and key stakeholders for two days of productive discussions, knowledge exchange, and collaboration in Trieste, Italy. The meeting provided an important opportunity to reflect on the project's progress, exchange insights, and explore the evolving skills needs of the European maritime sector.
As the maritime industry continues to undergo significant transformation, driven by technological innovation, digitalisation, and the transition towards more sustainable practices, ensuring that the workforce is equipped with the right skills is becoming increasingly important. Against this backdrop, the meeting offered a valuable platform for participants to share perspectives, identify emerging challenges, and discuss how the sector can better prepare for future demands.
Throughout the two days, interactive workshops and collaborative discussions enabled project partners to review ongoing activities, share knowledge and experiences, and consider the next steps in the project's implementation. Particular attention was given to the importance of cooperation between industry stakeholders and other relevant actors in addressing skills gaps and supporting the long-term competitiveness of the European maritime industry.
The programme also included a dissemination event, providing an opportunity to share the project's work and encourage broader dialogue on the future of maritime skills. The discussions highlighted the value of bringing together different perspectives to support a more coordinated approach to skills development and workforce readiness.
The meeting in Trieste reaffirmed the shared commitment of LeaderSHIP4Skills partners and stakeholders to strengthening the European maritime sector through collaboration, innovation, and forward-looking skills development.
By fostering knowledge exchange and cooperation, LeaderSHIP4Skills continues to contribute to the vision of a more innovative, sustainable, competitive, and resilient European maritime industry.
Finland’s New Maritime Industry Strategy Highlights the Need for Leadership, Skills and Collaboration
Finland has published a new national Maritime Industry Strategy, setting out a vision for strengthening the competitiveness, growth and renewal of one of the country’s most important export sectors. The strategy recognizes the maritime industry as a key driver of economic growth and emphasizes the importance of innovation, skills development and long-term collaboration between industry, public authorities and educational institutions.
“The maritime industry has emerged as one of Finland’s leading growth sectors and has a significant impact on the direction of our national economy,” emphasizes Mika Nieminen, Chair of the Board of Finnish Marine Industries and CEO of Rauma Marine Constructions.
Prepared by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland, the strategy identifies five priority areas for future development: innovation and technological leadership, skills and workforce availability, exports and new markets, government vessels and security of supply, and investments, financing and ownership.
It also highlights the role of the state and the importance of domestic ownership in supporting the sector’s development.
The vision is to ensure that Finland retains its capability to build the world's most demanding cruise ships and passenger vessels, as well as its expertise in the design, technology development and production of vessels critical to the state, such as Arctic vessels, government and authority vessels, and naval ships. At the same time, the entire maritime industry ecosystem will be strengthened across the full value chain.
Another key objective is to significantly increase technology and service exports. The Finnish maritime industry is internationally recognised for its high level of expertise and advanced solutions, and the goal is to expand exports particularly through low-carbon, environmentally sustainable and high-technology products and services. At the same time, efforts will be made to ensure that domestic manufacturing maintains a strong role within the value chain.
Leadership and Talent as Enablers of Growth
The implementation of the strategy is expected to further strengthen the sector's competitiveness, growth and renewal. While the maritime industry is already one of Finland’s key growth engines, significant untapped expansion potential remains and should be fully utilized.
Delivering these ambitions will require practical mechanisms for skills development and industry collaboration. In this context, LeaderSHIP can serve as a platform for implementing the skills and competence objectives of both Finland's Maritime Industry Strategy and the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy, published in March 2026.
By connecting industry, education and European partners, the project can translate strategic goals into concrete training programmes, competence frameworks, micro-credentials and lifelong learning pathways that strengthen Finnish and European maritime competitiveness.
A Strategic Sector for Finland
With annual revenues of approximately €12 billion, the maritime industry is a strategically important and critical export sector for Finland’s security of supply. The industry directly employs more than 30,000 professionals. Finnish maritime companies export high-technology solutions for all vessel types worldwide, helping accelerate the green and digital transition in shipping.
The sector is known for shipbuilding deliveries and technology solutions for cruise ships, passenger ferries, and specialized vessels such as icebreakers and government vessels, as well as offshore operations. The industry encompasses the entire technology value chain, from shipyards and design companies to equipment and systems suppliers, turnkey providers, software companies, and material suppliers.
Future skills in the maritime industry: what should education and training provide?
LeaderSHIP panel discussion at Europe Forum 2026 in Turku
The Europe Forum is Finland’s most significant event for political and social debate, bringing together decision-makers, experts, representatives of the business community and members of the public. The 2026 Europe Forum was held in Turku from 26 to 28 August under the theme “Values, innovation and security as the foundation for the EU’s success”.
As part of the event, Turku University of Applied Sciences and the LeaderSHIP project organised a panel discussion entitled “Future skills in the maritime industry: what should education and training provide?”. Journalist Ari Welling (Yle - The Finnish Broadcasting Company) facilitated the discussion between panellists Rector and CEO Vesa Taatila (Turku University of Applied Sciences), HR Director Nina Marttila (Meyer Turku Ltd), CEO Elina Andersson (Association of Finnish Marine Industries) and Vice President, Shipowner Services, Jari Yli-Tolppa (Elomatic Ltd). An audience of 86 persons attended onsite and 57 watched the online streaming.
The panel emphasised that the maritime industry is a broad and interdependent ecosystem, its operations shaped by digitalisation, automation, the green transition, cyber security, and geopolitical changes. Future competitiveness will require even stronger systemic expertise, involving an understanding not only of one’s own specialisation but also of the functioning of the entire shipbuilding and maritime industry value chain.
The discussion pointed to the growing concerns about a skills shortage. There is a greater need than ever for shipbuilding professionals, as the maritime industry is a growth sector in Finland and, at the same time, a significant number of experienced specialists are set to retire over the next decade. However, the diverse maritime industry also requires skilled workers with a wide range of educational backgrounds and experience. Long-term solutions are needed to pass on expertise to younger generations, as the practical skills required for many roles are built up through years of experience.
Panellists also emphasised the importance of increasing productivity and efficiency in a situation where the working-age population is shrinking. Automation, digitalisation, and autonomous systems were seen as key means of addressing labour supply challenges and improving productivity across the entire sector. Cyber security expertise should be incorporated into virtually all job roles. With the rise of remote systems, data-driven decision-making and networked operating environments, every employee must understand the basics of information security, regardless of their own professional field.
Another topic was the international operating environment. English has become the everyday working language in many companies, which highlights the importance of language skills and the ability to operate in a multicultural working environment. Furthermore, attracting students and experts from various fields to the maritime industry was seen as an important means of broadening the skills base and strengthening the sector’s capacity for renewal.
The panel’s key conclusion was that, alongside specialised technical expertise, the maritime industry of the future requires continuous learning, the ability to utilise artificial intelligence, strong cyber security skills, and the ability to understand one’s own role as part of the wider maritime ecosystem. Proficiency in English, the ability to collaborate and a readiness to acquire new skills were identified as the core competencies of a successful maritime industry professional.
Turku Shipyard Driving Growth Across Finland
The economic influence of the Turku shipyard has grown significantly in recent years, extending far
beyond Southwest Finland to benefit the entire country. A recent study conducted by the University
of Turku confirms that Meyer Turku Oy has become an increasingly important driver of
employment, business activity and tax revenue nationwide.
Since 2021, the company’s turnover has roughly doubled, while its workforce has expanded by
around 30 percent to approximately 2,400 employees. When the broader network of suppliers and
partners is included, the shipyard now supports more than 10,000 jobs across Finland.
A key factor behind this impact is the extensive supply chain connected to the shipyard. In 2025,
over 1,100 partner companies were involved, including hundreds of domestic firms. Notably,
around 70 percent of deliveries now come from Finnish companies, highlighting the growing
importance of local industry. While the strongest effects are seen in Southwest Finland and the
Helsinki region, the benefits are felt across more than one hundred municipalities.
The scale of activity is substantial: the total value of deliveries reached approximately €1.45 billion
in 2025. This economic activity also generates demand beyond the industrial sector, supporting
services such as housing, education and transport. At the same time, international cooperation
remains strong, with suppliers from dozens of countries contributing to production.
Overall, the Turku shipyard represents a vital part of Finland’s industrial ecosystem. Its success
relies not only on its own operations but also on a wide network of partners, skills, and innovation.
As investments continue and domestic production increases, the shipyard’s role in strengthening
Finland’s competitiveness and economic vitality is expected to grow even further.
Photo: Copyright Meyer Turku
Shaping the Future of Maritime Technology Skills – LeaderSHIP at the European Maritime Days
The EU Maritime Day on 21 and 22 May brought together policymakers, industry leaders, trade unions, researchers and regional stakeholders in Limassol, Cyprus, to discuss the future of Europe’s blue economy. As the EU’s flagship maritime event, it plays a key role in advancing priorities such as the green and digital transitions, sustainable ocean governance and skills development, notably through initiatives like the Pact for Skills and projects such as LeaderSHIP.
The LeaderSHIP Project partners hosted the workshop “Shaping the Future of Maritime Technology Skills” that addressed one of the sector’s most pressing challenges: how to anticipate and respond to rapidly evolving skills needs in shipbuilding and maritime technologies. Bringing together policymakers, industry representatives, training providers and trade unions, the session fostered a forward-looking and collaborative exchange on both challenges and opportunities linked to the twin transitions. Through a combination of expert presentations and interactive discussion, participants explored emerging trends, shared practical experiences and identified areas for action.
A central element of the discussion was the evidence generated by the LeaderSHIP project. Survey results presented during the session highlighted significant shortages in both technical and digital skills profiles, alongside a growing reliance on internal company training. These findings underscored the need to better align education and training systems with industry requirements, particularly as demand for skills linked to zero-emission technologies, automation and data-driven shipbuilding processes is growing. The workshop also showcased the project’s practical response, including the development of new curricula and pilot training programmes designed in close cooperation with industry stakeholders.
Participants also emphasised the importance of stronger cooperation across Europe. They reflected on the role of regional ecosystems and the Shipbuilding Pact for Skills in scaling up efforts, improving talent attraction and fostering lifelong learning. Particular attention was given to how collaboration between clusters, companies, education providers and public authorities can support cross-border mobility and ensure a more coordinated European approach. This was complemented by a policy perspective rooted in the European Maritime Industrial Strategy, which highlights the central role of skills, quality jobs and social dialogue in delivering a fair and competitive transition.
The industry perspective further illustrated the scale of transformation underway. Contributions from shipyard representatives highlighted how the green transition is reshaping competence requirements, with growing demand not only for advanced technical expertise but also for interdisciplinary skills, adaptability and continuous learning.
Overall, the workshop clearly demonstrated that addressing skills gaps is essential to securing the future competitiveness of Europe’s maritime industry. By connecting policy ambitions with practical solutions, it reinforced the need for coordinated European action and strong partnerships to build a skilled, resilient and future-proof workforce.
LeaderSHIP workshop topic: “Shaping the Future of Maritime Technology Skills”
Presenters:
LeaderSHIP Project: Juha Valtanen, Project leader, Turku University of Applied Sciences
New curricula and piloted trainings: Tatiana Pais, Researcher, Ph.D. in Naval Engineering, University of Genoa
Regional Ecosystems and Shipbuilding Pact for Skills: Ana Mendibil, Training & Employment Manager, Basque Maritime Forum
European Maritime Industrial Strategy: Aurora Rossi, Policy Advisor, IndustriAll European Trade Union
Future Competence Needs at Shipyards: Ilkka Rytkölä, Ecosystem Lead, Meyer Turku Ltd
Vevox audience interaction: Suvi Kivelä, Project Manager, Turku University of Applied Sciences