Seafarers are the backbone of global trade, responsible for delivering around 80% of the world’s goods. However, the maritime industry faces significant challenges in crew sustainability, including difficulties in attracting, recruiting, and retaining seafarers. A growing shortage of qualified officers, driven by an aging workforce and negative perceptions of the profession, exacerbates the issue. While the industry is making strides with diverse recruitment strategies and improved working conditions, long-term workforce stability persists.
The Deep Dives project aims to take a closer look at one or more trend(s) and the implications for subsections of the maritime community, providing detailed, targeted and valuable foresight. The project also responds to the need for reliable information about future trends affecting maritime industries. From this project, two reports are expected to produce high-quality and publicly accessible information about maritime futures over the long-term, which will help the industry, government and civil society to better act on good decisions relating to infrastructures, skills and other aspects of safety at sea.
The first Deep Dive report will focus on how to ensure a sustainable supply of seafarers to support global trade, particularly by addressing crew sustainability challenges. Focusing on African seafarers,
including women seafarers, the expected outcomes of the first Deep Dive include:
