German Society for Maritime Technology joins European Forum CEMT

(STG) has become a member of CEMT, the Confederation of European Maritime Technology Societies. During its latest board meeting STG president Dr Hermann J. Klein and STG Secretary General Iwer Asmussen were welcomed by CEMT's nine member institutions from the UK, Poland, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy. The board meeting took place in Hamburg. Topics of the agenda included the implication of the latest blue paper published by the EU Commission on a coherent and integrated European maritime policy with regard to research activities and innovation. "Our membership in CEMT opens the way to an intensive exchange of expert knowledge in respect to the challenges of European maritime industries," said STG president Dr Klein. "The future demands of shipbuilding and operation to increase efficiency, safety and protection of the environment will require innovative solutions. The Confederation of European Maritime Technology Societies provides an excellent platform to promote all these challenges." CEMT is a confederation of national professional institutions. It represents over 30,000 engineers incl. scientific experts who are involved in all sectors of the maritime and offshore industry i. e. in design, construction, maintenance and ship operation. One role of CEMT is to set standards of professional competence for their individual members and to assist their members in achieving and maintaining those standards. CEMT is also concerned with providing substantial input for successful maritime research and development programmes. It focuses on the individual engineer with the necessary knowledge and professional skills - engineers who will provide future innovations, which are the key to the success of European maritime industries. The next meeting of CEMT will take place in May 2008 in the Netherlands.