Proposal for environmental safeguards has been requested from the Commission.
News Article: Call for Increased Federal Investment in German Seaports
On September 6th, 2023, the annual Captain's Day event was held at the Upper Town Hall in Bremen and Bremerhaven, honouring captains and chief engineers, as well as attracting around 300 captains, representatives of the maritime industry, and politicians.
During the event, Captain Stephan Berger called for donations for the work of the Bremen Seamen's Mission, and the guests were served a traditional curry dinner, a long-standing tradition of the Captain's Day.
Senator Kristina Vogt, Olaf Lies, Stephan Berger, and Christoph Bruns delivered speeches at the event. Senator Vogt called on the federal government to develop a clear future strategy for financing seaports and increase its financial participation.
Christoph Bruns announced the new trade fair format "LogisticsConnect" for March 2025 at the Congress Center Bremen, inviting all North German seaports. He emphasized the central topic of the implementation of a North German harbor cooperation, with a focus on sustainability and responsibility towards future generations.
Olaf Lies emphasized the need to inspire and attract more people for maritime professions, especially with the integration of artificial intelligence in shipping.
The current federal government’s financial participation in seaport investments in Germany includes a €45 million funding commitment by KfW IPEX-Bank to Duisburger Hafen AG (duisport) for port infrastructure upgrades, reflecting a targeted support for future and renewable energy-oriented development.
However, calls for increased federal spending on seaports stem from several key factors. The delays and uncertainty in finalizing the 2025 federal budget have led to frozen tenders in related infrastructure sectors like autobahns, which could also impact port-related investments, raising concerns about stalled development.
There is mounting pressure on coastal and maritime infrastructure amid shifting trade dynamics due to the EU-US trade deal imposing tariffs that compress margins in German industry. This environment heightens the strategic importance of ports as logistics hubs, with calls to ramp up investment to strengthen Germany’s competitive position in global trade and supply chains.
The government’s broader economic strategy involves planned investments up to €1 trillion over the next decade, but the current pace and scope of allocated spending towards ports specifically may not meet growing operational and modernization needs, prompting calls to increase federal participation for enhancing port infrastructure and competitiveness.
While all German seaports together receive only 38 million euros annually from the federal government as harbor infrastructure compensation, Bremen and Bremerhaven require investments in the high three-digit million range for their harbors.
The top photo depicts the traditional Captain's Day, which has honoured Bremen captains and chief engineers since 1965. The event was once again celebrated with a traditional curry dinner.
[1] Source: KfW IPEX-Bank Press Release [2] Source: German Ports Association [3] Source: Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie [4] Source: Deutsche Presse-Agentur [5] Source: German Federal Government Press Release
- The call for increased federal investment in German seaports was emphasized by Senator Kristina Vogt, who urged the federal government to develop a clear future strategy for financing seaports during her speech at the Captain's Day event.
- The need for a significant increase in federal participation in seaport investments is suggested due to the delays and uncertainty in finalizing the 2025 federal budget, which has led to concerns about stalled development in related infrastructure sectors such as autobahns and ports.
