Marcel van de Spek, Chairman of the Holland Yachting Group, powered by the Netherlands Maritime Technology (NMT) talks about the groups remit to promote the Dutch superyacht industry on a global scale
The Dutch maritime industry is a valuable part of The Netherlands economy as well as being an important historical contributor to the global maritime trade.
The Netherlands Maritime Technology (NMT) trade association is the first port of call for and primary representative of the Dutch maritime technology sector. The 400+ members include shipyards, marine equipment suppliers and service providers, all united within a close and highly successful network.
At the end of September 2019, a group of prominent superyacht companies and trade association Netherlands Maritime Technology (NMT) announced that they were joining forces. This strategic alliance focused on the worldwide branding and export promotion of the superyacht building industry and strengthening the entire Dutch maritime manufacturing industry. In the last months of 2019, NMT spoke with almost all shipyards and suppliers to determine what specific needs they have as the basis for the activities in the new program, then under the temporary working name NMT Superyacht Platform. This programme was presented at the beginning of 2020 and it has now been announced that they will continue under the name Holland Yachting Group.
The board members of Holland Yachting Group are from businesses within the superyacht arena and will represent the companies within the broader Holland Yachting Group. The remit of the group is to champion The Netherlands globally as a superyacht industry leader in design, new build, refit and innovation with an emphasis on quality and an expert work force. Marcel van de Spek, confirms “Operating under the umbrella of the NMT will provide the organisation with a larger voice on any legislative change that could positively or negatively affect the industry.”
In 2019, the value of the superyacht order book reached €4.0 billion for 51 yachts of 24 metres and upwards, this was relatively stable compared to the previous year, and the value of the deliveries is nearly equal to the value of the order intake. The orders placed in 2019 totaled 16 yachts with a value of just over €1 billion and a total of 55,927 CGT.
The remit of the group is to champion The Netherlands globally as a superyacht industry leader in design, new build, refit and innovation with an emphasis on quality and an expert work force.
The vessels that were ordered are larger and even more exclusive. In addition to the trend for an increase in size, there is also a growing interest in sustainability, such as the application of hybrid propulsion and innovations in design and material use.
Marcel van de Spek continues, “Innovation and the drive to protect our environment is central to the group’s agenda. This is an obvious way the sector can secure its future and grow.” To emphasis this and under the leadership of The Water Revolution foundation, a number of initiatives have been started to assess the sustainability of yachts. The objective is to restore and protect the oceans, and to reduce the impact of human activities on the oceans.
A final but very important task of the Holland Yachting Group is to invest time and energy in education. For The Netherlands to continue its leading position in the superyacht industry, a new generation of professionals and enthusiasts is a necessary part of the puzzle. As an organisation, Holland Yachting Group and its members are fully behind this initiative and are looking forward to a bright and successful future.