The current situation of the German maritime industry is not far from that which has existed for each of the past several SMM exhibitions in Hamburg. The collective group of shipbuilders, repairers and marine equipment product and system suppliers are still widely regarded as one of the most technically capable and technologically advanced in the world, utilizing generations of accrued know-how to deliver safe, efficient and reliable vessels and systems. According to the latest world shipbuilding statistics, Germany ranks fifth in the world in terms of new tonnage built per annum, but with a market share of only four percent and an increasing outflow of business — particularly an outflow of simpler ship-type construction — to lower cost competitors in developing nations and Korea…