Liverpool’s influence as a prime hub for the maritime sector is set to grow substantially over the next decade.
£12 billion is expected to be invested in the port infrastructure, doubling its size and creating up to 100,000 jobs.
This presents a massive opportunity for the regional construction industry but with so much maritime business going on within the dock estate, the sector can be a difficult one to crack. You have to build the right networks and contacts if you want to secure a share of the massive investment that is about to transform the regional economy.
Mersey Maritime Group represents a hub of around 1,700 maritime and related businesses in the region. Our members include construction firms who trust us to help them build relationships with key figures.
We have seen the maritime industry around the Mersey grow over the last decade and it is about to take a giant leap forward. As a result there will be demand for infrastructure improvement and Mersey Maritime can introduce firms to business opportunities. By forging strong links between the construction and maritime sectors through initiatives like our monthly Face-to-Face networking events, we bring sectors together to enjoy mutual growth.
Peel Ports is investing £300 million building a massive new facility at Seaforth Docks to receive some of the biggest container ships in the world – Post Panamax freighters. Recently Chancellor George Osborne visited the site as dredging began to announce £35 million of Government funding for the project.
Directly related to this project are plans to improve access to the Manchester Ship Canal, John Lennon Airport and the national road network via the Mersey Multi Modal Gateway (3MG).
The potential is there to tap into major construction contracts in the short-term and a steady stream of work down the line as the influence of investment fuels the local economy and businesses expand.
But if North West construction firms want a piece of the action, they have to start building the right relationships now. If not, those billions of pounds could end up being spent with firms from elsewhere in the UK.
At Mersey Maritime we help break down barriers to working in the maritime sector. We can arrange meetings between member firms who need services and those who offer them in order to create an eco-system where firms work together to complete projects. This helps businesses in the region to grow together.
We also provide skills training through our sister organisation Maritime and Engineering College North West (MECNW) to help firms keep their workforce up to speed.
The maritime sector and SuperPort will be key driver for the regional economy during its construction and once it is operational. This is the time for the construction industry to join us and maximise the benefit of these projects locally.
Jim Teasdale is the chief executive of Mersey Maritime Group, which represents around 1,700 businesses connected to Merseyside’s maritime sector. Face-to-Face networking sessions are held on the first Tuesday of every month. For details about Mersey Maritime Group, Contact 0151 647 4747 or visit www.merseymaritimegroup.co.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Mersey Maritime Limited
Mersey Maritime is the private-public sector partnership that represents the interests of the shipping, ports and logistics sector on Merseyside, including improvements to the movement of freight across the region. It represents the interests of a cluster of 1700 businesses employing 28,000 people, with a combined turnover of £2.6bn. The organisation receives funding via the European Regional Development Fund (see below), matched by private sector income raised through membership, events and consultancy services.
ERDF in the North West
ERDF is making a real difference to people and businesses in the North West. With €755 million to invest between 2007 and 2013, ERDF is enhancing the competitiveness of the region’s economy by supporting growth in enterprise and employment. ERDF in the North West is managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government – for further information visit https://www.gov.uk/erdf-programmes-progress-and-achievements
SuperPort
SuperPort is the £1.8 billion transport and logistics strategy to expand the freight and passenger capacity of the River Mersey. It includes the £350 million Liverpool 2 deepwater container terminal scheduled to open in 2015 which will dock super-size Post-Panamax-class container ships, more than double the current handling capacity of the port. In addition, the Mersey Multi Modal Gateway (3MG), the six-lane Mersey Gateway Bridge, the Mersey Gateway Port, the World Cargo Centre expansion at John Lennon Airport, new logistical hubs planned for the Manchester Ship Canal, the Langton roll on-roll off ferry terminal, cruise liner facilities, port road access and the Liverpool-Manchester rail upgrade will complete the SuperPort hub.