Navigating towards an inclusive and sustainable maritime future: Perspectives of young professionals

Next month, the IMO will celebrate seafarers worldwide with the Day of the Seafarer. For 2024, the campaign will focus on recognising seafarers’ contributions to making the maritime sector a safer workplace. Ensuring a safer maritime industry relies on current and future talent.

Last year, as part of the Global Maritime Forum’s Future Maritime Leaders essay competition, 112 young maritime professionals and students shared their vision of an inclusive transition towards a sustainable shipping industry. The essayists provided concrete, feasible, and promising action plans for a successful, inclusive transition. Although their ideas varied, all emphasised the importance of collaboration—between on- and offshore workers, policymakers, and commercial managers; between developing and developed countries; and between young and old.

The following insight brief provides an overview of the key findings from the Future Maritime Leaders 2023 essay competition, offers detailed insights into the participation statistics, and highlights the emerging core ideas. Emphasising the significance of the essays, this analysis aims to illuminate the diverse perspectives and innovative concepts presented by participants.

Read the full insight brief here