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Dr. Jouko Huju

GMBA Finland’s Jouko Huju talks to Anders Kurtén, CEO of Baltic Yachts about the importance of sustainability

Baltic Yachts of Finland is a market leader in sustainable super yachts.  For Baltic Yachts sustainability is not just verbiage. It means thorough and complicated research and knowledge about rapidly changing customer requirements. And profound concern about the environment.

 

JH: How would you describe the business you are in?

AK: Our industry, and us, we are in the difficult business of delivering dreams.

 

These dreams they vary in size, form and investment. Yet the sea is the same for all, whether experiencing it from a kayak or a superyacht.

 

For us a superyacht is a product that exists for one main reason. That reason is to put a smile on the face of the owner. Every boat, or yacht represents freedom. Freedom from speed limits and various land-based restrictions.

 

But not everybody’s idea of freedom is a superyacht.  In my country, Finland, the dream boat is a small aluminum outboard powerboat. And by the way, Finland has the highest boat density in the world.  Every 5th Finn owns a boat.

 

JH: Let’s talk about Baltic Yachts and sustainability first in terms of history!

AK: To truly understand our approach to sustainability we need to go to way back in history. For hundreds of years, we in Finland have built ships mainly for export markets.  It all started from frigates in the 16th century. This heritage meant that we had the boatbuilding skills passed on through generations. Much later, in 1973 a few young men relit the torch and started building sailing boats again. And they had a particular philosophy in mind.  The boats needed to be lighter, stiffer and faster.

 

In 50 years, Baltic Yachts has evolved from a humble local boatbuilder to become a leading global builder of sustainable superyachts. Globally, superyacht dreams are changing shape. Sustainability has become paramount.

 

The fundamental idea and decades of experience with  light construction gave Baltic Yachts the basics to create sustainable superyachts as a lighter boat need less energy to move.  Today I can subsequently claim, that we are world leaders in sustainable advanced custom carbon composite superyachts.

 

Our philosophy too has evolved. We still build lighter, stiffer and faster yachts.  We have added one dimension though. The boats are also greener.   Together with our customers we have been able to create sustainable solutions. Sustainability for us is managing and myopically focusing on multiple small details all combined creating a big impact.

 

JH: Could you explain in basic terms the sustainability principles at Baltic Yachts?

AK: Our customers represent 0,003% of the global population but as they control 13% of global assets, their actions matter, also in terms of leading the way as these customers in many cases are thought leaders in their own right.

 

For sustainability there is no single silver bullet. There are no simple solutions to complex problems, despite what politicians may tell you. Sustainability for us broadly falls into three categories;

 

one – reduce the environmental footprint of our production – and use more organic materials

two – minimize the total lifecycle emissions of our products while under way

three – reduce the total lifecycle emissions of our products when at standstill

 

Reducing the environmental footprint of production is a continuous challenge. The key here is to measure your impact. Baltic Yachts has been measuring sustainability impacts since 2014.  Over the last 5 years we have finally got the hang of it.  We now track 30 parameters and convert them to CO 2 equivalents annually. In 2018 we had 1400 metric tons of CO2 equivalents. By 2020 we had reduced this to 400.

 

This represents a 2/3 reduction in build time environmental footprint and all this without any significant investments. Organic materials further reduce the environmental load.  Let’s take a few examples:

  • Cork replaces teak in decking
  • Flax replaces carbon fibre in hull and structures – like on our recently launched 68 Café Racer where we have 50% flax in hull, deck and structures

The quantum leap, however, is yet to come. We are researching recycled carbon fibre which I predict will be a game changer.

 

What really matters though, given the longevity of our products, are lifecycle emissions.

 

I would again give two examples where we are market leaders;

 

Both Baltic 142 (S/Y Canova) and Baltic 117 (S/Y Perseverance) feature electric propulsion with hydrogeneration. Both can cross the Atlantic without burning a single drop of fossil fuel, thus saving hundreds of litres of diesel over a single crossing. This means several cubic meters of fossil fuel saved over a typical full season. Hydrogeneration makes minimal emissions under sail possible. The freewheeling propulsion drive unit is used for generating power to the battery bank.

 

On S/Y Canova and S/Y Perseverance 14 knots of speed means 15-20kW of generated power making both yachts self- sufficient while sailing. There are other benefits to electric propulsion as well.

 

Namely silence: S/Y Perseverance features 42 dB in the owner’s cabin.

 

Motoring under full throttle: batteries also give us 8- 10 hours of silent period at night. An electrical main engine also gives us much more volume inside the boat in premium social areas as the engine room typically is much smaller on a hybrid yacht. Where we still have work to do is in reducing emissions while at standstill.

 

On a recent launch, 60 sqm of solar panels allow a couple of hours of time off for generators on a sunny day. The advice here is to sail more, spend less time in ports. Well, drinking cold champagne in port is nice, so we need to work harder as an industry on reducing standstill emissions.

 

The fact of customers demanding sustainable solutions remains and the technologies are available. For once the morally right thing to do is also best for your business and future market shares.

 

For Baltic Yachts lifespan means a lot. The first ever built Baltic, the 46 foot S/Y Queen Anne, from 1974, returned to our yard for her first ever refit. For us the future is bright green.

 

www.balticyachts.fi

Anders Kurtén, CEO (anders.kurten@balticyachts.fi)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Dr Jouko Huju, GMBA Finland
Tel: +358 40 5509310
Email: jouko.huju@gmba.blue


 

Disclaimer: Global Marine Business Advisors is a registered legal entity and is a network of independent marine industry advisors. In all articles the opinions expressed are those of the author and does not necessarily reflect those of GMBA.

Marine Industry organisations and companies: Make sure that your board is correctly motivated | Dr Jouko Huju, GMBA – Finland

To begin with it is important to understand that above all a board membership means responsibility, not power. The board is the guardian of the organisation’s mission and it needs to make sure that the organisation lives up to its mission and appraises its performance.  The board members should internalize the feeling of responsibility rather than that of power.

 

Motivation of people still happens through Pavlovian carrot-and stick incentives.  2500 years ago, the city of Athens gave its citizens a direct voice and an active role in civic governance.  The city rose to an unprecedented political and economic power. The system succeeded in bringing individual initiative and common cause into harmony.  Some may claim that the Athenian model does not provide a simple set of prescriptions for modern managers.  It does, however, offer a window into how sizeable groups of people can successfully govern themselves with dignity and trust and without resorting into a stifling bureaucracy. Being able to contribute to the success of an organisation/company or a whole industry is seen as the most important reason for a board memberships.

 

The ethics of work motivation theory are important because motivational efforts can exert control over individual moral autonomy. Among other things, motivation usually involves the manipulation of values that motivate individuals to work for organizational ends.  In other words, factors that individual workers regard as valuable need to be channelled or redirected to augment organizational productivity.  The phenomenon behind high level of motivation is the sense of responsibility.

 

The ethical issue regarding the motivation for work concerns the moral status of the worker (board member). Is he or she an instrument for organizational ends and/or an end in himself or herself? On the former view, the worker’s values are important to management only insofar as they can be channelled in productive ways. For example, an individual who is driven by material wealth can be motivated to produce more of what the organization wants him or her to produce with pay-for-performance incentives, whereas another individual to whom recognition is important may be enticed when he or she is offered an impressive title and opportunities for greater managerial responsibility. On this view, the worker’s values are not important because they are individually valuable; they are important because they are organizationally valuable.

 

The concept of motivation is invariably linked with the notion of reinforcement or reward. It has been noted in the literature that rewards can come from sources external to the organisation as well as from within. The value and impact of variables like autonomy, satisfaction, the feeling of being in control, and making meaningful contributions, can all come from within, and may serve as powerful reinforcement or rewards for an individual, making him or her sustain the motivated level of work performance. Recognition is considered a reward which comes with successful contribution and active participation to the work.

 

Motivation can also come from the fact that board members receive an opportunity to serve an organization they believe in, a chance to learn new skills, an opportunity to be with people that share the same values, and the opportunity to forge strong personal and professional connections. In return, they offer the organisation their time, skills, knowledge, and commitment. Burnout and lack of direction, however, can lead to a lack of productivity, a misalignment of board actions and board member values, and general dissatisfaction on the board. For the health of the organisation, it is critical to create an environment that fosters and maintains a high level of board member motivation and accountability.

 

There are several strategies that can be used to maintain and even increase commitment and performance and thus increase motivation:

  • When building a board, align the interests and expectations of board members with the organization. Understand their interest and motivation in serving, and be sure that they understand the challenges and requirements of board service.
  • Show appreciation often, in both formal and informal ways. Recognition of board members encourages commitment and high-performance.
  • Involve board members in areas where they feel they can use their skills and knowledge and add real value. Make training opportunities available to increase their skills and knowledge.
  • Institute an annual board self-evaluation program that allows members to step back and reflect on their own performance as well as that of the group. This can provide feedback on performance and help develop corrective actions.
  • Develop individual accountability contracts. Use these contracts to determine strategies for holding board members accountable for attendance, contribution of expertise, willingness to make constructive comments during meetings, etc.

Just a few though to start a thinking process.

 

Dr Jouko Huju, GMBA Finland
Tel: +358 40 5509310
Email: jouko.huju@gmba.blue


 

Disclaimer: Global Marine Business Advisors and its associated website www.gmba.blue are not registered legal entities. GMBA is a network of independent marine industry advisors. In all articles the opinions expressed are those of the author and does not necessarily reflect those of GMBA

Meet the Team

Jouko Huju, GMBA Finland, is one of the founding members of GMBA and an industry veteran with over 25 years of experience in the recreational boating sector. He “retired” a few years ago to spend more time with his family and on the golf course, but life had other plans for him, and you will find him hard at work most days, advising small to medium size firms, both in Finland, and in boating markets around the world.

  1. GMBA has celebrated its 2nd birthday in January 2022. What was the main reasoning behind the creation of Global Marine Business Advisors?
  • Quite soon after I retired from my work as Finnboat’s CEO I started getting calls from smaller companies in the industry asking for help mainly in their export business. I had a few colleagues I had known for years and they also felt that loosing all that accrued tacit knowledge would be a real waste. A few months later GMBA was formed and it now covers 19 people in 18 countries on 5 continents.  Normally we would have one advisor per country.  In bigger market areas like the US, we now have two.
  1. Does that vision remain or has the organization’s focus shifted in the last year?
  • There are really many companies in the marine industry that struggle with their international business. They need advice, contacts, ideas, encouragement, and somebody to talk to.  If one of our 19 members cannot help, we would certainly know someone who can.
  1. The last year has seen unprecedented growth in boat sales across most of the world. We are seeing big investment in the marina sector, and the global superyacht fleet continues to expand. How do you perceive the growth and stability of our sector?
  • The COVID 19 pandemic really created an unusual peak in boat demand. In the past two years many countries have had all time high numbers in boat sales. In some cases, the manufacturers have not been able to respond to the demand. People were not able to travel so they invested in local leisure activities.  A notion of “staycation” was created. The pandemic is still with us but people have now started travelling almost on the same level as before Covid. This has already made its mark in demand.  The war in Ukraine has brought consumer confidence down at record speed and fuel prices have jumped to all time high.  People are now more unsure about their future.  Although boat deliveries are still in full speed, the traffic in dealerships, at least in some areas, has been much slower.  This is the situation with smaller family boats. In the Superyacht sector the changes are much slower and the demand depends on somewhat other factors.
  1. What are your predictions for our industry over the next 5 years?
  • In general, our industry is cyclical. The overall economic development has a great impact in the sales of family size boats. The global geopolitical challenges, price of fuel and other competing leisure activities have their role too in consumers’ discretionary investments. I expect that with the present realities we should expect a slight downturn in the overall interest in boating.  Also the unusual high sales of new boats during the worst years of the pandemic may bring quite a number of  1-3 year old boats into the market thus competing with new boat sales.
  1. What advice would you give to a company looking to increase their export markets today, that will have the most impact in the LONG term?
  • I have always said that we all have to do our homework first. If you wish to expand your markets, make sure that your capacity both in production and people can meet the growing demand. I have often been asked what is the secret to succeeding in exports?  There is no secret.  If your product meets the demands of the market in style, design and price, all you will need are  hungry enough sales people who have the strength to be on the road all the time.
  1. What is the biggest / most common mistake you see firms making at the moment?
  • I do not think one can mention one single thing. I often see companies taking part in exhibitions just because they have received a grant from their government.  Their inhouse work has not been completed and that will make all offshore work totally obsolete.  In my view everybody should prepare an internationalization strategy.  It should be prepared as a team effort within the company.  Based on that it will be easier to decide how to invest the often-limited resources.

A few personal questions:

  1. If you were to go back in time, would you select this industry and your career path again?
  • I probably would. Out the 43 years of my working life I have spent the longest time in the marine industry. Trying to help the Finnish companies to succeed has been not the easiest of tasks but the challenge has made us all think, plan and prepare.  The Finns are a small nation but out of our boat production we export 70-80%.  That is an achievement.  I have also been lucky to work with many international marine industry organizations (like ICOMIA, EBI and IMCI) and have through that work been able to get a wider view of things. Not to speak of huge amount very interesting and wise people I have encountered.  Many of them have remained life time friends.

Global Marine Export Advisors Appoints Representative in China

Media Release 13 April 2022

GMBA continues to expand its portfolio of clients and advisors and is becoming a valuable resource for the marine industry. China for many years has been on the radar of marine industry businesses globally, either investigating opportunities to export to China, manufacturing in China, supporting infrastructure development or sourcing for supply chains from China. China has been seen as a growth market and with the island province off China’s southern coast, looking set to play a key role in boosting leisure boating in the region, many GMBA clients continue to keep a watchful eye on this market. To ensure GMBA can continue to service clients with quality market information and networks GMBA has appointed Godfrey Zwygart as their representative in China.

Godfrey is a former captain and chief engineer who has spent a large part of his life in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. Originally trained in the French Naval Academy he served as an officer on both navy and merchant ships and captain on super yachts up to fifty meters. Godfrey moved to Asia in the eighties as a boat builder in Taiwan. As a dedicated professional with over 40 years of ocean and marine experience and a proven track record in management positions, he now specializes in development, management and marketing of world class international yacht marinas and yacht clubs.

In 2010, Zwygart moved to Sanya to build and act as general manager operations of the multi-award-winning Sanya Serenity Marina. The marina has been a host twice for the Volvo Ocean Race, as well as the Clipper Race and the youth world sailing championships. In 2018, Serenity Marina gained worldwide recognition by becoming the second yacht marina in the world to obtain the ” 5 Gold Anchors Platinum” accreditation from MIA. Zwygart stepped down in 2020 and now serves as a special consultant for Sanya Serenity Marina.

As an author and columnist Zwygart has published two books as well as many articles in Chinese and he is a prominent figure in China’s yachting and marine industry. He has been listed in Asia’s 100 most influential yachting personalities. In 2019, Godfrey was awarded the highest honour for foreign experts in China “the Chinese Government Friendship award” In 2020, Zwygart also received the coveted “China green card” for permanent residency in China.

Jouko Huju GMBA stated, “The addition of Godfrey to the GMBA team further broadens the level of knowledge, expertise, and networks we can provide to our clients. With the commitment being seen to develop the leisure boating industry in China Godfrey is a valuable addition to our team.


Disclaimer: Global Marine Business Advisors and its associated website www.gmba.blue are not registered legal entities. GMBA is a network of independent marine industry advisors. In all articles the opinions expressed are those of the author and does not necessarily reflect those of GMBA

The Perception of Country-Specific Risk in the Marine Industry Related to Finland has Changed – But What is the Reality? | Dr Jouko Huju, DBA, GMBA Finland

As we went to sleep on February 23rd 2022, the overall international perception of the country specific geopolitical risk affecting Finland was zero, or at best negligible.

As we woke up to the bleak morning of February 24th, all this changed, literally overnight. Whilst not discounting or belittling the complete and utter humanitarian catastrophe and the plight the Ukrainian people currently face, we still remain as an industry directly responsible for some 3,500 jobs in Finland generating almost a billion € in revenue. However, while doing our best to help the Ukrainians, we simultaneously need to focus on matters closer to home. To paraphrase our President, Mr. Sauli Niinisto in a recent CNN interview reflecting upon the situation specifically for Finland, “Finns are not scared, but surely we are fully awake.” Despite this, we have to accept the fact that the country specific geopolitical risk affecting Finland has changed in terms of perceptions, and also potential outcomes – even if military outcomes still seem less than likely. In this story we will try to reason around why we feel there is certainly no need to panic, despite recent global events.

Over 60% of the Finnish population now supports a NATO membership (61%, Helsingin Sanomat, March 30th 2022 – survey done by Kantar) whilst in the decades prior to the Ukrainian crisis support was on a stable level hovering around 25% (continuous survey 1998-2021 as done by EVA) – a significant increase. In other words, joining NATO now seems closer than ever.

A description of the constitutional, parliamentary process would be good (i.e. favourable vote in the Finnish parliament required PRIOR to sending membership application) and the application still needs to be unanimously ratified by ALL existing NATO countries. Also, the Kremlin already considers Finland to be very much a part of the Western sphere of influence, despite the optical “sovereign, neutral nation” moniker.

The real risk here is less the ending of exporting goods to Russia or lack of Russian customers buying boats to be kept outside Russia, and more the lack of belief in a stable future operating environment. Further, rather than geopolitical, the risks are: inflation and the increasing price of raw materials; both leading to challenges of remaining competitive. This combined with “decision anguish” on behalf of customers and dealers (often related to economic or geopolitical instability) can have detrimental effects on short term revenue.

Recent events have brought into focus the importance of democracy, transparency and real facts rather than alternative facts or outright lies. Therefore we need to keep a level head also within our industry, and make sure that customers and partners have access to REAL facts to support their decisions. Some of the conclusions may be that, while the optics are definitely leaning towards an increased geopolitical country risk concerning Finland, the fact is that:

  • we do not have strong signals that military aggression from Russia to Finland is viable in the short term.
  • The Kremlin may have underestimated the disastrous effects on Russia that the current aggression has caused, as the full impact of international sanctions is yet to hit the Russian economy.
  • There is significant pressure; both political and economic to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, and President Zelensky understands that a peace treaty allowing Putin to save face with a “graceful exit” is necessary- hopefully increasing the odds for ending the current war sooner rather than later – giving way for a period of relative stability.

So, there is really no reason to believe that Finnish industries by and large, and even to a lesser extent the leisure marine industry should be adversely affected by the above. We expect the impact to be of a more long term nature possibly concerning big strategic, non-mobile investments such as large scale manufacturing plants, infrastructure related projects and such.


Dr Jouko Huju DBA, GMBA-Finland
+358 40 5509310
jouko.huju@gmba.blue

David Lewin, GMBA-UK
+44 7767 687 987
david.lewin@gmba.blue


Disclaimer: Global Marine Business Advisors and its associated website www.gmba.blue are not registered legal entities. GMBA is a network of independent marine industry advisors. In all articles the opinions expressed are those of the author and does not necessarily reflect those of GMBA

Travel, experience, learn and apply (if needed) | Dr Jouko Huju, DBA, GMBA Finland

“He who makes a trip has a story to tell” is a quote from the German poet Matthias Claudius (1740 – 1815). In today’s business world we call them trade missions, study tours or maybe fact finding trips.

The competition in the boating industry (or any industry for that matter) between various brands, products or services is fierce. The consumers can easily inform themselves over the whole offer of the industry in a matter of hours.  The competition though, that our industry should fear more, are other hobbies and activities. Be it caravans, motor homes, motorcycles, golf or travel, to mention a few.  The need for home renovation or a new car can delay a boat purchase.  We need to present the lifestyle too.

Although the marine industry competes against each other we should also be able to develop some sections together.  The better, more innovative and practical our products are, the better the services and maintenance and the easier the whole chain of a consumer’s boating experience is, the better chances we all have to succeed in increasing the number of boat enthusiasts.

Intercultural, open exchange of ideas and methods can be very productive. Should we close our doors to competition or should we let them in, see and hear what they think?   I think we should be more open. That is what the Finns have been doing for a very long time.

Since the 1970’s the Finnish industry has been travelling the world.  Well, even earlier because the first Finnish joint stand was at the Paris Boat Show in 1946.   We have been to all continents, numerous countries and visited together over 250 boat factories, marinas, equipment producers and associations.  We have been given the chance to learn about production technology, marketing, dealer networks and advocacy to name a few.  This all has been a very eye-opening experience.  Sometimes we learn and can apply new things, sometimes we find out that we do things better ourselves.  But all in all, it raises the bar and helps companies understand what the consumers around the world wish to have and where we stand ourselves.

In January 2022, during the worst pandemic of modern times, 16 people from the Finnish marine industry visited eight producers in Florida.   We had agreed on safety precautions and proceedings.  Full vaccinations, negative tests, full time mask wearing were the requirements.  And by the way, no one contracted the virus.

The demand for production boats at this very moment may be the highest through history.  We have to be able to ensure that the production is flawless and ensure that we are in control of the supply chain, which we are unfortunately not able to do at the moment. The companies know what is needed but there are things beyond their control.

The companies that we saw produce thousands of boats. The biggest number we heard for one company was 15.000 boats!!!  Their turnover was bigger than that of the whole Finnish marine business.  Economics of scale are interesting (and sometimes even frightening) to see.

But we saw a lot, we made notes, discussed and the delegation members returned home rich with ideas. Was the trip worth the time spent (a week)?  Absolutely. The next trip is already in the planning.

I am encouraging all to travel even more. Send your people to boat shows and events.  Even people that normally do not travel. It can be very productive.

Dr Jouko Huju DBA, GMBA-Finland
+358 40 5509310
jouko.huju@gmba.blue


Disclaimer: Global Marine Business Advisors and its associated website www.gmba.blue are not registered legal entities. GMBA is a network of independent marine industry advisors. In all articles the opinions expressed are those of the author and does not necessarily reflect those of GMBA

Read the news but always keep an open mind | Dr Jouko Huju, DBA, GMBA Finland

The proper use of information made available by media and various organizations depends on the ability to understand the information needs, where to find and retrieve it and the proper evaluation of the quality of the accessed information.

Media and other information providers play a central role in knowledge gathering processes of the companies also in the marine and boating industries. They are a way of communicating information, although the role is somewhat broader than just that. The media, especially trade media, are defined, in most cases anyway, as sources of credible and current information created by journalistic and accountable values. On the other hand, the extremely wide and diverse selection of information and content, especially on the Internet, varies greatly in accuracy, reliability, and thus in value too.

In my view it is of utmost importance though, that you will not take the retrieved data at face value. All data is subject to misinterpretations. To begin with you need to ask yourself, why the data was required in the first place?

Let’s talk about why data is important for the boating industry too.

  1. Data=knowledge

Correctly retrieved and interpreted data provides usually indisputable facts. Data will help you justify your arguments.

  1. Results

You will need the data to follow and carry out your company’s strategy.

  1. Solutions

Possessing the correct data will enable you to more easily assess the cause of problems.

  1. Internal advocacy

Illustrating arguments through the use of data will allow you to demonstrate why changes are needed

  1. Efficiency

Effective data collection and analysis will allow you to direct resources.

  1. Know where you are

Good data allows you to establish benchmarks and goals because it allows you to measure.

To sum up for what purposes the data is needed:

  • Finding new customers
  • Increasing customer retention
  • Improving customer service
  • Better management of marketing efforts
  • Tracking social media interaction
  • Predicting salestrends

GMBA Australia’s MaryAnne Edwards says: “The boating industry is bombarded with information from a huge number of sources. There are many on-line newsletters that simply regurgitate press releases and in some very little journalistic work to verify facts is undertaken.  However, these newsletters do provide information as a basis for further research if it triggers an interest for a particular business. There are also industry surveys produced by various sources that are often skewed as businesses do not want or do not have time to be completing questionnaires, providing financial or sales data for these surveys.  I would always caution companies to take the information they read and then take steps to verify it if they are using it for business decision making.”

Countries often have in market reports on their government websites and generally these are not too bad as governments often have access to data media do not.

The big question is how people in the industry filter all this information and decide what is valuable and based on actual facts.  Also, do businesses have a good understanding of what information they even need to drive their business successfully.

So, in my view, when you read the news, think where it came from, who wrote it, could the writer really have had access to the data and has he/she interpreted it correctly.

I would say that in general the trade press in the boating industry is very reliable and the writers make sure to double-check the information. They then form, with their archives, an important and wide based source of information for strategic planning of the marine industry.

I would still urge everyone to have an open mind and not take anything for granted.

Dr Jouko Huju DBA, GMBA-Finland
+358 40 5509310
jouko.huju@gmba.blue


Disclaimer: Global Marine Business Advisors and its associated website www.gmba.blue are not registered legal entities. GMBA is a network of independent marine industry advisors. In all articles the opinions expressed are those of the author and does not necessarily reflect those of GMBA

Letter from Finland November 2021 | Dr Jouko Huju, DBA, GMBA Finland

Who is responsible for being vocal about improving boating related services?

The economic impact of boating is huge.  Cities, communities and governments earn in form of taxes and other income.  In my view the question is, if those who earn are investing back to improve boating related services.  The Island Council, appointed by the Finnish Government, commissioned a study (2021) to find out what the real impacts in the economy and employment are.  It is good to remember that Finland has the highest per capita boat density in the world with over a million boats (5,5 mill inhabitants) and a season on max 5 months.  The question is if the industry and boaters are vocal enough to demand better services in return?

The overall findings show that the growing popularity of boating creates a total income of over 400 mill. € in terms of direct spending of boaters. This income employs directly over 2500 people and indirectly another 3800 people. In this country those are big numbers. The biggest shares of spending go to fuel, restaurant services, service/maintenance purchases and groceries.  The boaters from their side wish better waste collection and recycling points, places to empty septic tanks, places to get drinking water and fuel stations.  Fuel is a big problem in Finland’s vast archipelago.  The season is short and all kinds of safety regulations are becoming more stringent. The study shows that boaters want to be responsible and they wish to ensure that boating is environmentally sustainable from all angles.  The newest generation of boaters are busy people and they want to spend their time on water just boating.  They wish to be able to buy most services and not spend time maintaining the boat or worrying about winter storage or engine service.

Boat sales are soaring in most boating countries around the world.  Some say even with production boats the whole production of 2022 is booked. Companies report double turnovers and huge demand. The production at the moment is concentrating on its own problems of delivering what has been sold.  This is only natural. Who is then responsible for making noise about boating related services out on the water?  You might say that it is the boaters themselves.  And the related organizations.  In many countries though, you would need a joint voice of the boaters, the industry and the respective organizations. I also believe this topic should be covered by the media more than it is now.

The pandemic has been a major reason for the increased sales. In many cases the new boaters may expect that boating related services are just as good as e.g. with cars. There may be some disappointments. I am sure there are many working groups and committees dealing with these matters as we speak. The road maybe slow but for a sustainable growth in the number of boaters, one septic tank emptying place, one more recycling station or waste deposit place already make a huge difference. In the North European waters finding fuel stations starts to determine your routes.  To improve any of these a co-operation between private entrepreneurs and regional/national authorities is needed.  In my country a lot of good people already work on these issues.

The question is if the improvements can be done quickly enough to ensure that we can keep all those new boaters we now have.

Dr Jouko Huju DBA, GMBA-Finland
+358 40 5509310
jouko.huju@gmba.blue


Disclaimer: Global Marine Business Advisors and its associated website www.gmba.blue are not registered legal entities. GMBA is a network of independent marine industry advisors. In all articles the opinions expressed are those of the author and does not necessarily reflect those of GMBA

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