Maritime industries on the Baltic wave – Rejs GospodarkaMorska.pl
By Marek Grzybowski
Representatives of the shipbuilding and port industries, offshore and logistics, and insurance and financial companies sailed from Gdańsk to Stockholm for the fifth time. On board the Polish Baltic Shipping Company ferry, discussions focused on new investments and competitiveness, as well as the prospects for the shipbuilding and offshore business. On the second day of the cruise, debates took place on the rocking deck of the Nova Star. A storm on the return journey imposed a convention: maritime industries must continually seek solutions that ensure the most stable conditions for development.
“This was the fifth edition of the Cruise with GospodarkaMorska.pl conference – an event highly valued by the maritime industry. It has a unique character and exceptional atmosphere. For the fifth time, we hosted distinguished participants, excellent speakers, and panelists,” says Mateusz Kowalewski, publisher of the GospodarkaMorska.pl portal and the event organizer.
On board the Nova Star ferry, over 40 hours of discussion took place during substantive panels. The cruise also provided an opportunity for informal meetings and networking. Five panel discussions focused on important issues for the Polish maritime industry. Topics included the development of ports and offshore wind energy, and the competitiveness of shipyards. Critical infrastructure security, financing, and risk mitigation in the implementation of large projects were considered. During the cruise, the Lighthouses of the Maritime Economy 2025 were awarded in the maritime technology leader category. Readers of the GospodarkaMorska.pl portal selected HG Solutions for its innovative technological solutions for the shipping industry. Marine Projects took the podium, honored by readers for its construction of innovative live fish carrier vessels for aquaculture.
PRS was also among the nominees for its contribution to the development of maritime safety through collaboration in developing regulations and standards for shipbuilding and maritime technology, participation in NATO and NSCA working groups, and collaboration with the Polish Naval Academy. PRS also engages in research, education, and certification work in the fields of shipbuilding and environmental protection. TUiR Warta SA was entered into the competition for its long-standing support for the maritime sector through comprehensive insurance of ships, shipowners, shipyards, and offshore platforms. The company has been present in the market for over 100 years and has achieved a strong international position, remaining a key partner for companies operating in the maritime industry.
CRIST SA was nominated for the construction of the offshore support vessel Sea Dragon (NB110). The project stands out for its innovative approach to specialized vessels for the offshore sector. The vessel features a unique walk-to-work system, environmentally friendly solutions, energy-efficient drives, DP3 dynamic positioning, and an iceberg protection system.
Critical Infrastructure, Financing, and Local Content
The cruise began on a high note, with participants in the panel “The Role of Critical Infrastructure in the Context of Maritime and Energy Security” providing current context. The discussion emphasized the importance of critical infrastructure requiring robust protection. This was emphasized by Vice Admiral Krzysztof Jaworski, Commander of the Maritime Operations Center, who stated bluntly that GPS signal disruptions and identification system shutdowns are a constant occurrence in the Baltic Sea. It is no secret that Russian special vessels and land stations activate jamming systems, and “shadow fleet” vessels carrying oil from Russian ports regularly sail the Baltic Sea. It was unanimously emphasized that the security of Polish critical infrastructure has many gaps resulting from a lack of adequate legal regulations, imperfect organizational solutions, and technical equipment.
Sebastian Kluska, Director of the Maritime Search and Rescue Service, announced the development of rescue forces. As part of the Feniks program, the Polish SAR will acquire eight new SAR vessels and build a multi-purpose rescue vessel. Karol Madej, President of the Florian Port Guard Board, assured that the Port Guard ensures the port’s full operational security, while Stefan Rudnik, Director of Investments at the Port of Gdańsk, announced that a 24-hour operations center is already operating at the port.
The Port of Gdynia has launched its own dynamic vessel positioning system, enabling the precise entry of even large vessels into the port. This system minimizes the risk of disruption to ship GPS systems, emphasized Tomasz Wawrzyński. However, “spuffing” introduces additional threats to traffic safety in the port and on its approaches. Attorney Mateusz Romowicz tempered optimistic assessments of the security of our waters and coastlines. In his opinion, entities tasked with protecting critical infrastructure in hybrid operations are in a difficult legal situation because they lack the basis for a decisive response. Those protecting our infrastructure and waters lack legal comfort.
In situations of “hot war,” the Polish Navy clearly has the competence and potential. “If you have access to the sea and don’t respect the Navy, you don’t deserve it,” emphasized Marcin Ryngwelski, president of the PGZ Naval Shipyard, where frigates are being built under the Miecznik program. He received applause for his statement.
Wind in the Supply Chain for Offshore Wind Energy
The discussion during the panel “Production and Service Facilities for Offshore Wind Farms” revealed that not everything is going as expected. Polish suppliers recur in every panel devoted to offshore wind energy. Jakub Wnuczyński, CEO of Baltic Towers, and Marcin Sowiński from Orlen Neptun, responsible for the 4 GW Orlen West project, are focusing on building a Polish supply chain. Jerzy Wiatr, Vice President of GP Baltic, assured that Polish manufacturing companies have the technological potential to ensure supplies to the offshore market.
Ewa Kruchelska from the CRIST shipyard noted that the situation is not quite as rosy. CRIST has jack-ups and vessels for offshore wind installations in its portfolio, but it is not building any vessels for Polish offshore in the Gdynia dock. She announced that CRIST will likely liquidate the shipowner company recently established to operate the offshore wind farms by the end of the year.
Offshore wind energy has revitalized small Polish ports, and they have become strategically important in this industry. Maciej Karaś, President of the Port Authority in Ustka, stated with satisfaction that offshore wind has significantly contributed to the development of new activities in small Polish ports. Offshore wind is significantly replacing the dying Baltic fisheries. In Ustka, PGE and RWE are launching their wind farm service centers, and PGE is practically finalizing the offshore service base.
Today, the main offshore port in Poland is Władysławowo. Alongside the fishing base with a cold storage facility and a shipyard, new businesses are developing, according to Witold Wawrzonkoski, President of the Management Board of Szkuner, which manages the Port of Władysławowo.
Ocean Wind is leasing space to build a service base. Currently, twelve CTV vessels are moored in Władysławowo, using them to transport workers to the wind farms. Despite such extensive involvement in the construction of wind farms in the Polish economic zone, Szkuner did not receive funding from the National Offshore Wind Farm (KPO) like Ustka or Łeba, Wawrzonkoski noted with regret. Yet the port, shipyard, and facilities are already working at full speed to support Polish offshore wind energy.
Financing and Insurance for Offshore Wind Energy Projects
As is the case every year, the financial and insurance panel focused on the limitations in financing and insuring large investments. Artur Kucia noted that with investments reaching PLN 200 billion, PKO BP, the largest bank in this respect, could commit approximately PLN 10–11 billion. Building consortia is essential, as no bank in Poland can finance such investments. Insurance companies face similar challenges.
Marian Podjacki of Attis Broker admitted that the increase in investment costs forces the search for new products and solutions to eliminate risk. Collaboration between insurance companies and banks can achieve this. Large investments require complementary initiatives and offerings. According to the panel participants, competition must be replaced by far-reaching collaboration. Among them were: Agata Kozieł, director of Saltus Ubezpieczenia; Agnieszka Rodak, president of Rumia Invest and chairwoman of the PIMEW board; Magdalena Huptas-Palimonka, guarantee manager at KUKE; Marek Lewandowski, director of TUiR Warta; and Patryk Zbroja from the Zbroja Adwokaci law firm. The discussion was moderated by Artur Kiełbasiński, editor of the ZielonaGospodarka.pl portal. KUKE can support more maritime projects than before. By expanding the project’s “green” criteria, KUKE can also guarantee financing for initiatives that combat climate change, as Magdalena Huptas-Palimonka reported.
The transition to fueling ships with ecological fuels is still in its infancy, and shipowners primarily power their ships with fossil fuel-powered engines. Participants in the panel “Energy Transition on Ships and in Maritime Transport” focused on how far we still are from achieving eco-friendly ship propulsion. The issue isn’t urgent, as in mid-October, the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee voted to postpone the implementation of plans to radically reduce emissions of harmful substances from maritime transport. It’s worth noting that maritime transport accounts for only 3% of global emissions, yet is treated as the world’s leading polluter. The main sources of global warming, namely industrial and agricultural activities, are often overlooked. “Large shipowners can cope, but Polish ones lack the support of financial institutions and government,” noted Grzegorz Pettke, president of the Polish Register of Shipping. This is a concise summary of global efforts to achieve the transition and local opportunities.
Eco-ships in the Long Term
Dariusz Doskocz, CEO of PŻM, and Piotr Redmerski, President of PŻB, highlighted the challenges shipowners are already facing. Funds raised from ETS emissions fees are being “spent,” with only a negligible amount reaching shipowners and operators. Therefore, new investments and research and development spending are difficult to come by. “Of the 100 billion PLN collected from the market, approximately 1 billion has been allocated to ecological solutions,” Redmerski noted. We still don’t know which fuel will dominate in 2050, when we are supposed to achieve zero emissions. If ships are in service for even 20-25 years, shipowners should be ordering zero-emission ships today,” Dariusz Doskocz sarcastically remarked.
In the shipbuilding panel, participants tried to answer the question: “Can today’s shipbuilding industry in Poland be competitive?” And they found it. We are still producing specialized ships. We’re still renovating. We’re still in business – despite staff shortages. But… Chinese shipyards are investing heavily in the automation and robotization of production processes in shipyards and entire supply chains. Digital twins are becoming increasingly common in production and repair yards, and IoT is increasingly used in logistics. “80% of shipyard automation investments are taking place in China, and in Europe, such investments are still small compared to China,” noted Rafał Przytarski, managing director of the CRIST shipyard. “Today, nothing is impossible in China’s shipbuilding industry,” he stated. “A shipyard was built in Vietnam that produced similar vessels to those in Poland, but 30% cheaper,” said Andrzej Denz, CEO of Damen Shipyard. He believes we should focus on building ships that are technically complex or luxurious. The opportunity lies in shipbuilding. “In Poland, we’re implementing too few turnkey projects,” pointed out Artur Nastkiewicz, CEO of Naviretech. “We are manufacturers of partially equipped hulls, but we should be producing a finished product,” Nastkiewicz believes.
Radosław Kowalczyk, president of the Wulkan shipyard, emphasized the need to operate in clusters. The former Szczecin shipyard site hosts 70 entities, employing over 2,000 people. He believes this potential should be tapped into a private-public partnership. “This solution could increase the competitiveness of Szczecin’s resources,” Kowalczyk believes, stating that the situation at the Wulkan shipyard is stable.
“The conference has become a permanent fixture in the maritime industry calendar. I am convinced that we will continue this convention – the conference at sea – in the coming years,” Mateusz Kowalewski says.
The ambassadors for Cruise 2025 included the Port of Gdańsk Authority, the Port of Gdynia Authority, the Polish Register of Shipping, PGZ Stocznia Wojenna, TUiR Warta, Baltic Towers, SZKUNER Władysławowo, CRIST SA, Global Maritime, JPP Marine, Lintec Marine, SALTUS Ubezpieczenia, and DNV Poland. Honorary patrons of the conference included the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Maritime Economy Employers’ Forum, and Polish Baltic Shipping.
