28 
BSH kompakt 
COMPETITIVE 
German shipping industry 
2008 
3 272 seagoing ships are 
listed in German ship 
ping registers (as of 31 
December 2008); 
645 ships are flying the 
German flag (31 Decem 
ber 2008); 
474 of the German flagged 
ships are listed in the 
International Shipping 
Register (ISR); 
Payment of financial aid in 
the amount of €57.9 
million, including €7.5 
million for the promotion 
of 305 training places; 
Issue or renewal of over 
5 000 certificates to 
mariners; 
About 50 type tests com 
pleted (EC certificates); 
38 EC certificates issued to 
quality management 
systems; 
About 90 national certifi 
cates issued, among 
them 7 small craft ver 
sions of the automatic 
ship identification sys 
tem AIS and LED 
navigation lights; 
Type testing of 770 pieces 
of equipment for the 
German Navy; 
168 plan reviews of navi 
gational and radiocom 
munications equipment 
to be installed on board; 
Issue of 150 International 
Tonnage Certificates to 
ships re-registered un 
der the German flag; 
Participation in European 
and international stand 
ardisation work aimed 
at developing and im 
proving marine equip 
ment. 
Ocean shipping ac 
counts for 95 percent of 
intercontinental trade and 
plays a central role in the 
world economy. The 
German commercial fleet, 
one of the most technically 
advanced fleets In the 
world, ranks high In global 
ocean transport. However, 
the current economic 
crisis and, In Its wake, 
falling demand also affect 
shipping and the widely 
The BSH Is an Impor 
tant contact for shipping 
companies, mariners, and 
shipping administrations In 
all matters concerning, 
Inter alia, ship registration, 
Certificates of Competency 
for mariners, and available 
ramified maritime Industry 
- an Industry whose 
growth dynamics In the 
past several years has 
contributed substantially 
toward securing employ 
ment and Improving the 
economic climate. 
Therefore, It Is crucial to 
maintain the attractive 
ness of Germany as a 
business location for ship 
ping. The Federal Govern- 
state aid to shipping. 
Besides, the BSH ensures 
that Increasing demands 
on the safety of shipboard 
equipment, which Is 
becoming more and more 
technologically sophisti 
cated, are met. The BSH’s 
ment has created favour 
able framework condi 
tions, e.g. by taking 
measures to reduce non 
wage labour costs and 
promote training places on 
board German flagged 
commercial vessels, 
because there Is a lack of 
well qualified mariners and 
new recruits to the mari 
time Industry, not only In 
Germany, but throughout 
Europe and worldwide. 
testing laboratory has a 
reputation as one of the 
world’s leading type-test 
ing labs for novel marine 
equipment such as AIS, 
VDR, and ECDIS systems.