Maritime industries
Finland has a very strong and varied maritime industry sector, largely dominated by exports. In its widest sense, the maritime industry consists of business operations related to ships, maritime technology, boats, maritime infrastructure, environmental technology and maritime functions.
The maritime industry can be divided into four main sectors:
- Newbuilding and repair shipyards, manufacturers of ship’s appliances, overall suppliers in the maritime technology sector, ship design bureaus and offshore industry
- Boat industry and trade
- Port and waterbuilding sector
- Environmental technology, products and services intended for fishing, diving and maritime hobbies.
The first sector is represented by Technology Industries of Finland, founded in 2001 to continue the work of the shipyard group of the Metal Industry Federation. The leading companies in the sector have joined the federation, which coordinates cooperation between companies in matters of industrial and economic policy. The number of members is 59, total turnover amounts to about EUR 6 billion (2010) and the enterprises employ about 21,000 people in their own operations.
The boat industry and trade are represented by the Finnish Marine Industries Federation Finnboat (www.finnboat.fi), whose membership represents close to one hundred percent of both the domestic boat industry turnover and the value of boat exports. Total turnover in 2011 came to EUR 548.5 million (+8.9%).
The port and waterbuilding sector includes enterprises serving both the international and the domestic market.
The fourth sector includes numerous enterprises operating on both the domestic market and the export market.