The shipbuilding industry in the Northern Netherlands is doing well again. Still, there are numerous challenges to be met. The energy transition, for example, but also the sustainability of processes and the demand for personnel. The FME and the NOM spoke firmly about this on Thursday, together with entrepreneurs and experts.
Hydrogen, green energy, innovation, digitalization, autonomous systems and A.I. The Northern Netherlands focuses on all these areas, and all these areas come together in the shipbuilding sector, among others. Not surprising, then, that NOM director Dina Boonstra met with FME chairman Theo Henrar precisely at Marine Service Noord in Westerbroek (supplier of installations on ships).
,,We speak to each other occasionally because we are both on the board of Smart Industry NL. It was a little too little about the Northern Netherlands for me, so I thought: then Theo should come by, so he can see all the great things that are happening here."
Dina Boonstra
For NOM, it is important to bring the sector back into the spotlight. The shipping industry has become a real pillar again. Logical, with all the developments taking place in it, especially in the Northern Netherlands. Dina Boonstra: ,,Investments such as Ekonowind fit into that picture.''
The FME, the entrepreneurs' organization for the technological industry, explicitly seeks cooperation with the NOM in the sector. ''Simply put, you can say that we are of the technology and NOM of the funding,'' says Leo van der Burg, business development manager of the FME in the Northern Netherlands.
Such cooperation is desperately needed to meet the enormous challenges. This was demonstrated once again during a roundtable discussion about the importance of digitization in the industry, about innovations in the field of hydrogen as well. And cybersecurity and the opportunities and apparent preparations of A.I. were also discussed. The discussion, led by Jacquelien Scherpen, Rector Magnificus of the University of Groningen and applied mathematician, was held between Dina Boonstra, Anne-Wil Lucas, Theo Henrar, Leo van der Burg, Eveliene Langedijk of FME, Jan Post and Yvonne Kooi of AI-Hub Noord, André Harmens and Anna Moerbeek of EDIH NN, Lars de Groot of Demcon and Niek Koop of Marine Service Noord.
Van der Burg: ,,These are such big issues that we have to think big in our region. This also puts us in the sights of important decision makers and brings European funds closer. It is very good that the national FME summit sees with its own eyes what we are doing here in the North. That always helps. For example, we are working with Marine Service Noord on a super interesting hydrogen project. And together with the NOM we are looking at autonomously sailing ships, among other things. These are really things you have to do in a larger context to be able to help the whole sector and the whole region move forward.''
Dina Boonstra looks at it exactly the same way. Especially in the field of innovation, we need broad collaborations. Groningen Seaports, the New Energy Coalition, the FME, the NOM and many other parties must join forces. We are already doing that, and it is happening more and more. I know that in that respect we are a good example in the eyes of the FME.''