The mission of the Malta Maritime Forum (MMF) is there to ‘fly the flag’ and promote the interests of the maritime community in the face of the continuous challenges that face the industry. It would be fair to say that the issues and regulatory demands currently facing business in general are more burdensome for the Maritime Industry due to the ever stringent global, carbon-neutrality targets.
With a view to better fulfil its objective of representing and informing the industry, the MMF signed a memorandum of understanding with the newly established Foundation for Transport. The agreement is aimed at enhancing collaboration between various national stakeholders connected to transport in the context of information-sharing, research and the planning of skills availability rendered necessary by the need for new, greener methods of operations across all forms of transport including maritime.
Clearly, similar collaboration can support the MMF across various levels. At face value, the agreement will pool information resources which will ensure that all operators in the maritime industry may take better informed investment and operational decisions based on evidence and research. There can be little doubt that maritime operators need to build resources and capacity which will enable them to meet the current challenges and obligations referred to above. Like every other business, maritime operators are being expected to embrace and manage the so-called twin transitions of digitalization and the green economy.
The MMF believes that the challenges and regulatory demands arising from climate change strategies are extremely onerous and the maritime industry certainly requires the authorities’ full support to build muscle, capacity and the know-how required to enable it to leverage the potential of digital and green transformations.
In this context, it is indeed highly encouraging that government has heeded the European Commission’s advice and earmarked more than half of the Recovery and Resilience Facility budget allocation for Malta for green projects. The MMF, with the support of the Foundation shall seek efficient projects that facilitate the channelling of such funds in support of companies in the maritime industry.
Indeed, digitalisation needs to be implemented at full-scale amongst maritime operations and at all levels since it is a key driver for a successful green transition and the fulfilment of the EU’s ambitious Green Deal objectives. It is estimated that the EU ambition for a carbon-neutral economy by the year 2050 will, in effect, require a 90 per cent reduction in emissions from all forms of transport by that target date.
Besides, as amply manifested during the COVID-19 upheavals, digitalisation is not only an enabler towards greener operations but it also promises to render businesses – including those in maritime – more resilient to shocks and more economically and socially sustainable.
In fact, a tangible area of collaboration between the MMF and the Foundation for Transport is in ensuring the country is equipped with the skills necessary to manage a greener and more technologically-orientated maritime industry. The rate of change in fleet modernisation is influenced by the magnitude of investment and lifetime of assets which is clearly much larger in the maritime industry, relative to road transport. Nevertheless, massive capital investment on its own will not result in a successful twin-transition because this also depends hugely on an adequate availability of skills required to operate the new machinery and technology. The Forum and the Foundation shall therefore be joining forces to support the industry, education providers and other stakeholders including the existing and potential workforce, to plan out the skills required by a transitioned maritime industry and an action plan to achieve same.
Indeed, the MMF plays a crucial role in bridging communications between industry operators including ship/tug/ferry/yacht/superyacht owners, terminal operators, pilots, ship-builders and repairers, charterers, the cruise industry, port workers on the one hand as well as education providers on the other– all of which are represented within the Forum. The Foundation will drive further input and resources from the public sector in order to ensure the adequate planning, development and delivery of the necessary upskilling and reskilling training modules for key-players, employees and stakeholders, and the public at large, for the purpose of ameliorating the transport industry in Malta.
The MMF congratulates the Foundation for Transport on its first anniversary. It is most encouraged by its collaboration with the Foundation which is certain to bring about important collaboration and synergies in the transport industry to the certain benefit of the maritime community represented by the Forum itself.
Judge Emeritus Joseph Zammit McKeon is Chairman, Malta Maritime Forum