The EU Maritime Skills Forum brings together policymakers, industry representatives, transport unions, researchers and maritime training providers under one roof to ensure Europe has the talent it needs for the green and digital transitions.
Jointly initiated by European Shipowners | ECSA and ETF and officially supported by the European Commission, the EU Maritime Skills Forum addresses emerging skills gaps in Europe’s maritime sector—especially those driven by digitalisation and the green transition—and seeks to improve mobility between shore-based and seafaring careers.
Objectives
Building on the findings of the EU-funded SkillSea project, which highlighted a projected need to upskill and reskill some 250 000 seafarers by 2030, the EU Maritime Skills Forum has established three thematic workstreams:
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Green Skills: developing training on clean-fuel technologies and sustainable operations
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Digitalisation: addressing priorities such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data management
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Leadership & Inclusion: enhancing soft skills, resilience, diversity and career pathways
Each workstream will convene throughout the year to develop practical recommendations and tools. Outcomes will be presented at the next Forum plenary meeting, where all stakeholders will agree on the next steps for creating a robust, future-proof maritime workforce.
Launch event:
The EU Maritime Skills Forum was launched with an event in Brussels on 21 January 2025:
Organisers
Supported by
