The Society of Maritime Industries is the voice of the UK's maritime business sector promoting and supporting companies which build, refit and modernise ships, and supply equipment and services for all types of commercial and naval platforms, ports and terminals infrastructure and maritime security, offshore oil & gas, and marine science and technology. Our vision is to be the trade association of choice for UK companies engaged in the maritime industries.

Companies in the Society’s membership have world-class capabilities enabling them to compete in global markets. Many companies enjoy the technological synergies which come from links with the aerospace and electronics industries thereby ensuring innovative solutions are available to the sector’s customers to meet the evermore stringent environmental and safety regime in which modern industry operates.

The Society is owned by its members and works to represent their interests in four significant ways:

• Promoting and supporting the domestic and export business of members.
  
• Improving the business environment for members both in the UK and Europe.
  
• Facilitating communication and networking across all our five sectors.
  
• Providing marketing and other services to member companies.

We deliver our services through five constituent associations under the Society’s umbrella:

Association of British Offshore Industries (ABOI)
Association of Marine Scientific Industries (AMSI)
British Marine Equipment Association (BMEA)
British Naval Equipment Association (BNEA)
Ports and Terminals Group (PTG)

We undertake a wide range of activities all of which provide extensive and unparalled business networking opportunities for member companies of all sizes through international, national and regional events, acting as a recognised source of information on the sector for Government and the City Members receive a regular newsletter providing them with up to the minute information on a variety of issues together with a weekly alert from this web site on all new material added in the previous seven days. Examples of our activities include:

• The organisation of national pavilions at overseas trade fairs including those associated with UK Trade & Investment
  
• Briefing overseas customers on member company capability through seminars, trade missions and meet the buyer events
  
• The provision of a comprehensive industry capability database with enhanced entries for members in Product Search
  
• Through the Society of Maritime Industries Information System (SMIIS) UK companies can have access to key market information to assist them in promoting their businesses in a competitive world market
  
• Specific assistance to companies wishing to enter the Chinese market through China Maritime UK
  
• Regular seminars on market opportunities and regulatory matters
  
• Training workshops imparting best practice on a wide range of topics
  
• Providing the basis for collaborative R&D projects for funding from the European Commission, including Framework 7 through Waterborne.

We are governed by a representative Board elected from across our membership and to ensure the full interests of members are reflected in depth the individual associations elect their own Councils from companies within their specific sectors. The Board and Councils direct policy on a wide range of issues and initiate a programme of activities designed to benefit all members. A list of our Board members is available here.

The Society is managed by a Chief Executive and a dedicated team consisting of the Association Directors, who are experts in their particular sectors, and supporting staff. An organisation chart is available here on Who's who and you may also download a copy of our latest annual report.

In the interests of members, the Society ensures it maintains influence on an extensive number of bodies that have bearing on the maritime sector. The list includes, but is not restricted to, the Defence Industries Council, UKTI Marine Sector Advisory Group, UKTI Ports Advisory Group, UK Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, the Marine Information Alliance, Naval Defence Industries Group of AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD), Marine South East, Marine South West, Economic Exclusion Zones Industry Group (EEZING), SEMTA’s Marine Sector Strategy Group, Global Training and Education Partnership (GTEP) in liaison with UKTI’s Oil & Gas International Sector Group and the Export Group for Aerospace and Defence (EGAD).

The Society is also a partner in the Sea Vision UK initiative. Sea Vision aims to revitalise interest and understanding of the importance of the sea and the maritime sector to this island nation. The Sea and the maritime sector are vital to the health and wealth of Britain and the world. They are crucial to our environment. Yet research has shown that many have little or no awareness of the sector. Sea Vision aims to reverse that and achieve a fundamental shift in public attitudes.

Our European sector body, EMEC (European Marine Equipment Council), is harnessing industry’s interest in research, innovation and development across Europe. The main objective of EMECRID, as it is called, is the acquisition and implementation of new knowledge and technology in the design and production processes of the systems, components and functions installed on ships or devoted to the operation and maintenance of ships, shipyards or ports. Through its technical working groups, EMECRID is assisting companies access the substantial funding for collaborative R&D available from the European Commission under its Framework 7 programme. The Society is taking a leading role in this initiative and a representative of one of our members, Rolls-Royce, is Co-chairman of EMECRID.

There are definite benefits to membership and they are available to any business in the UK representing suppliers and manufacturers of equipment and services in all areas of maritime business. At present the Society has approximately 180 members ranging in size from SMEs to major international companies.

For further information about membership click here, or complete the Join Us form.