“Logistics, Shipping and Finance made in Luxembourg”

Cluster Maritime Luxembourgeois

Founded in 2008

16 founding members– Shipowners [Cobelfret, DEME, Group Jan de Nul, Intershipping]– Banks [BGL, Dexia-BIL, ING]– Consultants, Audit firms, Tax advisors [Atoz, Deloitte,

Ernst&Young, PriceWaterhouseCoopers]– Transport firms [CFL Multimodal, CFL Cargo]– Law Firms [Arendt & Medernach, Etude Glodt]– Institution [Chambre de Commerce]

Goals of the Luxembourg Maritime Cluster

“ The Association… pursues the aim, on a non-profit basis, of contributing to the development of the maritime sector and the associated services in Luxembourg, by implementing promotion and communication strategies…”(Art. 4 of the Articles of Association)

Generally: • to increase the standing, the effectiveness and the visibility of the

maritime industry in Luxembourg – locally and abroad;• to defend, protect and promote the interests of the Luxembourg

maritime industry, in the broadest sense.

Scope of the Luxembourg Maritime Cluster (1)

• Membership is diversified• Approach is “transversal”, cutting across traditional “economic sector”

boundaries: - bringing together “the shipping industry” (shipowners & ship operators) and - its related suppliers of services: banks (finance), lawyers, audit & accounting firms, tax advisors… [targeted: insurance companies, inland port…]- its companion transport modes: rail, inland navigation, road transport, inland terminals… [“the logistics chain” or network]

Scope of the Luxembourg Maritime Cluster (2)

• Creating synergies and strategic alliances, reinforcing each other (flow of ideas and information: innovation through cooperation!)

• Maritime activity in Luxembourg is centered on “software” (managing, contracting, accounting, financing, operating “corporate structures”…), not on “hardware” (producing parts, instruments, equipment…)

Maritime clusters – a different game in a landlocked country

• Maritime clusters in “sea port countries” have a broader base:– including the sea ports (port authorities, port-based firms)– including “hardware” suppliers (shipyards, equipment suppliers…)– including a full range of “sea-centered professionals” (seafarers:

schools & training institutions, professional organisations; research institutes;…)

– including the national Navy

Maritime Luxembourg: a bit of history…

• Luxembourg is landlocked, but……in 1990 and 1994, legislation was passed (and improved) to establish a

• “Luxembourg Maritime Register” (Luxembourg Flag)to facilitate (at that time) the flagging out of the Belgian merchant fleet:

“If local economic and financial conditions force the merchant ships to leave, better to keep them under a national European Flag”

Cobelfret, an early moverinto Maritime Luxembourg

• Cobelfret originally established in 1928 in Belgium (Antwerp), by Luxembourgers!

• Cobelfret SA, Luxembourg established and locally operational in 1994

• Cobelfret Group of Companies is an European Group– anchored in Luxembourg– with port/terminal operations in Belgium, the United Kingdom, the

Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Ireland, France– with roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) services (Lines) in the North Sea [25 Ro-Ro

ships owned]– with a fleet of bulk carriers (coal, iron ore, bauxite) operating world-wide

[controlling 31 bulkers, Capesizes & Panamax]

• 1994 Legislation: A fully established & operational National register open to all serious shipowners and ship operators interested in working under a financially attractive, well-regulated and supervised quality-oriented regime

• 2004 Structural & policy change: shipping industry [CAM, Commissariat aux Affaires maritimes] under supervision of the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Foreign Trade, considered as an “export-oriented economic sector” (no longer under Ministry of Transportation)

Maritime Luxembourg: the story continues…

Shipping in the Logistic Chain

• Landlocked countries = Hinterland of ports• Trade flows in and out of sea ports must be channelled to the

broad hinterland, reaching producers (industry), commerce and consumers

• CML wants to help develop improved links with the sea ports serving the Luxembourg region, e.g. Zeebrugge, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Flushing…

Is Geography Destiny…?!

• “Luxembourg region” has two aspects:- Historical & institutional one: Benelux

economic cooperation with two traditionally seafaring nations comprising the main Western European sea ports (“Gateways to Europe”)

• Recent “flexible” one: “la Grande Région”Luxembourg, Lorraine, Saarland, Rheinland Pfalz, Région Wallonne, Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft Belgiens,transborder cooperation and coordination with neighbouring regions (local authorities) in various fields (transportation?)

Geography is also an opportunity !

• CML “shipping” members can bring valuable expertise and contacts to transport firms in the “Luxembourg region” related to their dealings with the sea ports (“optimizing the logistic chain”)

• CML focus is currently on railroad connections with sea ports, bringing different actors together (concepts of “dry port”, inland terminals, “hub and spokes”)

Intermodality & Ecology

• Confronting and comparing different “modes of freight transportation” in the CML, in a B2B sphere;

• Promoting and expanding the role of alternative, environment-friendly transport modes for the freight traffic to and from the sea ports (specifically rail, inland waterways)

• Organising and promoting the use of distribution centres/terminals in Luxembourg (“hubs”), as “dry ports”, “avant-ports”

Recent & future actions…

• « Promotion »: - participation in Luxembourg economic

missions abroad [B2B Contacts]• « Bringing together »: – membership drive…– networking events…

• « Visibility, awareness »:– « European Maritime Day ‘09 »

Thank you for your attention!

F. Bracke,President CML