Third round of meetings to incorporate Export Consortia
From the 19th of October to the 2nd of November 2020, the third round of video conferences to continue the process of incorporating European Atlantic Area Export Consortia in the maritime industry has been held within CONSORTEX Project.
The most remarkable matter this time has been the circumstances in which the task has been developed. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, two face-to-face activities which were planned for the consortia incorporation process (the plenary session in Bilbao in September and the participation in Navalia Fair in Vigo in October) have been cancelled. So, it has been crucial to insist in virtual meetings by video-conference.
The round began with the Deck Consortium meeting, led by Cork Institute of Technology, in which staff members of Obeki (ES), Dare Technology (IE), Industrias Ferri (ES), Add-Modules Technologies (FR) and Bere Island Boatyard (IE) took part. The main aim of this session was to draft the principal lines of a Business Plan so, targets, products to supply, markets to address and strategic lines to be adopted were introduced, discussed and finally approved. The Memorandum of Understanding was presented as a private agreement tool to give legal consistency to the consortium.
The second meeting, on the 21st of October, was the one led by Foro Marítimo Vasco related to Engine Room consortium. Since the participation was not significative, some agreements were reached by the partners to contact again with the involved firms.
The Bridge Consortium, led by Fórum Oceano and by Associação das Indústrias Navais met on the 23rd of October, involving six companies: Almadesign (PT), Tecnoveritas (PT), FläktGroup (IE), Marinelec (FR), Serenmar Ship (FR) and ABB (UK). The meeting had the same structure as the previous ones, highlighting the importance of drafting the main lines of a Business Plan.
The next week, on the 26th of October, Foro Marítimo Vasco led the group of companies on Offshore Energy with the participation of Navacel Process Industries (ES), ABB (UK), Galventus Servicios Eólicos (ES) represented by Aclunaga and SDI (FR) represented by Bretagne Pôle Naval. The participants insisted in the importance of the interrelationship between the companies and some of them contacted to the not-present firms.
On the 28th, the Vessel Design group of companies met. This group is led by the Associação das Indústrias Navais in Portugal. The present companies were Almadesign (PT), FläktGroup (IE), Mac Duff Ship Design (UK), Sofresid Engineering (FR) and Vera Navis (PT).
Finally, the Accommodation consortium held its meeting on the 2nd of November. Led by the Galician CONSORTEX partner, Aclunaga, the video-conference met Galventus Servicios Eólicos (ES), FläktGroup (IE) and Hotelis Henriques Campelo (PT).
As it is not possible to organise face-to-face meetings in the following months, the main conclusion is that the activities to reach the business agreements will continue be done by video-conferences and emails. Developing the relationship between participant firms, drafting Business Plans and writing and signing the Memoranda of Understanding will be the next steps in the project.
