In the current climate, it is very important for us to reflect and highlight how important the maritime industry is for our country and the rest of the world. It is how we make trading of essential day-to-day goods and services possible to keep powering our industries and support employment.
Maritime is most everything connected to the sea or waterways throughout the world, especially in relation to navigation, shipping and marine engineering. The industry has a direct impact on much of our everyday lives.
Think about the oil that powers our cars, many of our vehicles, our electronics, the coffee we drink, foods we eat and the clothes we wear…most come from overseas and are sent overseas if manufactured in our home country.
Thus, shipping has long been the major form of transportation, as well as an essential communication link connecting coastal cities, countries and continents. Next to rail transportation, water transportation is economically and environmentally the most efficient way to travel or transport merchandise; and, nowadays, around 90% of world trade is carried by the international shipping industry.
In parallel to the extraordinary increase of traditional sea-related activities, the maritime sector has experienced a significant qualitative and quantitative expansion with the appearance and development of two new industrial growth poles: the offshore oil exploration and production industry, and the cruise sector.
The enormous growth of world population and the subsequent increasing of energy needs, both in developing and developed countries, call for an increase in the offshore exploration and production of hydrocarbons. A new era of energy production made possible by many achievements in exploration, drilling, storage and transportation techniques comparable to the space industry, engaging many countries in drilling operations off the coast of 74 nations worldwide.
In the other hand, the cruise industry has experienced an increasing process of popularization worldwide, reaching a level of enormous significance in the global economy, with more and more cruises and recreational ships leaving from a large number and variety of ports around the world.
Anything that operates in this environment has special design requirements relevant to sea-keeping, capsizing, station-keeping, and random motions and loads in a hostile environment. Due to this uniqueness, the manufacturing is often more challenging and expensive.
The impact of Naval Architecture, Marine and Ocean Engineering is far-reaching and greatly enhances our quality of life. For example:
- 74% of the world’s trade is carried by ship.
- 95% of the U.S. international trade is transported by ship.
- 55% of the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of a coastline.
- 60% of the U.S. energy is imported by ship.
Do you agree that without the maritime industry we might be living in a different world?
Like our video asks, let us know in the comments below, how many items you use on a daily basis, all thanks to the maritime industry.