Interview : Marek Grzybowski (3) questions for Arjen Uytendaal, President,  European Network of Maritime Clusters;

ENMC  – an efficient framework for maritime sectoral cooperation

 Marek Grzybowski An exclusive interview for eBlue Economy

The European Network of Maritime Clusters (ENMC) is a cooperation between all the national maritime cluster associations and non-EU maritime clusters.

Marek Grzybowski: ENMC has been operating on the market for over 15 years. What is the mission and objective of this organization?

Arjen Uytendaal: Since its foundation in 2005, the ENMC’s main mission is to establish an efficient framework for maritime sectoral cooperation, focused on vocalizing the unambiguous maritime interest to European policymakers towards a European maritime level playing field; a single European Maritime Cluster. The European Network of Maritime Clusters (ENMC) is a cooperation between all the national maritime cluster associations.

Marek Grzybowski: What activities were undertaken by European Clusters at that time?

Arjen Uytendaal: Our main activities are

• Sharing informing and best practices among members,

Ensuring consistent economic maritime data is created and available, o.a. via the DGMare Blue Economy report.

• Informing EU decisions makers about the strength and opportunities of the maritime cluster.

• Organizing and participating in meetings and events to reach our objectives

• Sharing policy documents and funding opportunities with our members

• Organizing maritime stakeholders meetings in Brussel

Marek Grzybowski: We live in a time of new threats. We operate in an economy of 4.0. What goals and activities do you see in future activities for European clusters?

Arjen Uytendaal: Key topics for the future activities for the European Network of maritime clusters

• Cooperation with all European maritime stakeholders in Brussel.

• Reaching out and setting up meetings with SEARICA and the members of the European Parliament.

• Building on the internal ENMC network and cooperation on specific items such as digitalization and sustainable innovation.

• Building on the relation with other non-EU clusters, like Ukraine and West Med.

The main working files are among others:

• EU Taxonomy and delegated act, a classification system for green investments and lending

• Offshore renewable energy strategy and maritime spatial planning

• Horizon Europe, the agreement on innovation program for the European Union, with the zero-emission waterborne transport partnership.

• Link with healthy Oceans program, Starfish and UN ‘decade of the ocean’