“Logistics, Shipping and Finance made in Luxembourg”

1. “Logistics, Shipping and Finance made in Luxembourg”

2. 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]

3. 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.

4. 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]

5. 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…)

6. 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

7. 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”

8. 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]

9. Maritime Luxembourg: the story continues… • 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)

10. 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…

11. 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, RheinlandPfalz, RégionWallonne, DeutschsprachigeGemeinschaftBelgiens, transborder cooperation and coordination with neighbouring regions (local authorities) in various fields (transportation?)

12. 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”)

13. 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”

14. Recent & future actions… • « Promotion »: - participation in Luxembourg economic missions abroad [B2B Contacts] • « Bringing together »: • membership drive… • networking events… • « Visibility, awareness »: • « European Maritime Day ‘09 »

15. Thankyou for your attention! F. Bracke, President CML