Promoting the UK’s world-class global maritime offer: Trade and Investment 5-year plan

A government action plan developed with industry to promote and access global opportunities for products, services and investments of the UK’s maritime sector.

The Department for International Trade’s (DIT) 5-year plan presents collaborative measures and commitments from both DIT and the industry focussed on supporting the UK’s maritime exports.

The plan aims to:

• support the UK maritime sector to capture significant global market share in important technologies to improve the environmental performance of the global maritime fleet
• help the UK maritime sector become an acknowledged world-leader in the adoption of digital technologies and associated business services, including legal and insurance services for autonomous vessels
• promote the UK’s strong capability in maritime science globally
• maintain the UK’s number one position for maritime services against increasing global competition

The plan’s focus areas include:

• green maritime
• digital maritime
• autonomous vessels
• marine science
• maritime services

These were highlighted in the trade chapter of Maritime 2050 and align with the grand challenges sighted in the industrial strategy. The strategy identifies measures to encourage, inform, connect and finance UK companies to improve their contribution in global maritime exports, following the approach of the strategy.

It also complements actions by the government to support the shipbuilding industry by addressing themes that help future civil and military construction, evidenced by the UK’s exportable Type 31 frigate offer, and related in the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

These points are supported with more specific actions developed collaboratively with the industry and targeted at the respective needs and challenges of the maritime sector. They intend to help the UK build global market share across all segments and pave way for growth in the coming years.