SMI and UK Companies complete Finland Mission

11 UK companies have just completed a Mission to Finland, visiting some of Europe’s most active shipyards. 

The Society of Maritime Industries in conjunction with the Department for International Trade organised the 4 day trip to Helsinki, Turku and Rauma.

Tom Chant, Director at the SMI said,

“Putting UK companies in front of busy overseas shipyards never fails.  The discussions held always result in developing relationships and opportunities for business.  We had 11 companies on this Mission and met 4 shipyards and one cruise ship operator plus many more local industry at the reception we held.  It was a long dark four days in an un-seasonally warm Finland that will bring long-lasting business for the Mission companies.”

David Welch, Shipyard Sales Manager Cruise at Survitec said,

 “Just the trip to Meyer Turku was extremely beneficial on many levels for us.  We now have a better understanding of both the Meyer group strategy going forward and their order book.  Additionally it put us into contact with higher level decision makers within Meyer Turku’s procurement department, which will be extremely helpful to us gaining access to new opportunities.”

Richard Parsons, Major Projects Director, Maritime and Aviation at Royal HaskoningDHV said,

“Royal HaskoningDHV, including First Marine International, were enthusiastic right from the outset, at the opportunity to participate in this trade delegation, and it certainly met our expectations with a number of high level meetings with significant Finnish shipyards.  We were able to understand both the pressures the yards are under and the opportunities for our range of shipyard services. We trust that it is the start of a number of productive relationships.”

Matthew Kenney, Global Business Development Manager, Chelsea Technologies said,

“As a British designer and manufacturer of high-quality ballast water and scrubber wash water compliance monitoring systems, Chelsea Technologies was excited to attend the SMI / DIT Trade Mission to Finland, where shipbuilding for state-of-the-art cruise, passenger and ice-class utility vessels continues to grow strongly.  It was a timely and welcome opportunity to showcase British innovation to Finnish businesses at the cutting edge of global shipbuilding excellence and we hope to see Chelsea systems employed on more of these vessels in due course.”

For those companies interested in the Finnish market but weren’t able to join the Mission please get in touch with Tom Chant as the Department for International Trade team is currently well connected with the yards at present and would be able to support you.

With thanks to the following companies for hosting us:

• Meyer Turku
• Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd
• Rauma Marine Construction
• Marine Alutech
• Helsinki Shipyard

To make sure you don’t miss out on the next mission and other SMI events please sign up for news alerts on SMI’s website here

About The Society of Maritime Industries (SMI):

SMI is the voice of the UK’s maritime engineering and business sector promoting and supporting companies which design, build, refit and modernise ships, and supply equipment and services for all types of commercial and naval ships, ports and terminals infrastructure, offshore oil & gas, maritime security & safety, marine science and technology, maritime autonomous systems and marine renewable energy.