Hong Kong Kicks-off Maritime Week 2018

The "Hong Kong Maritime Week 2018" (HKMW 2018), a major annual event of the maritime and port industries in Hong Kong, unveiled on Saturday (November 18) with the "Hong Kong orienteering race.

According to a government press release, the  third edition of Hong Kong's Maritime Week oragnised by the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board (HKMPB) with co-organisers, the Hong Kong Shipowners Association and the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, runs from 18 to 24 November and features over 50 events comprising both industry and outreach.

Officiating at the opening ceremony of the HKMW 2018, the Chairman of the HKMPB and Secretary for Transport and Housing, Frank Chan Fan, said, "Maritime, trading and logistics have all along been the pillar industry of Hong Kong.  As mentioned in the Chief Executive's Policy Address published in October this year, Hong Kong should capitalise on our unique strengths and seize the opportunities brought by the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development."

"The Government will, through a package of initiatives including tax concessions and facilitation measures, promote the development of high value-added maritime services such as ship leasing, marine insurance, etc., thereby providing a new development strategy for the Hong Kong maritime industry," he added.

Chan also mentioned the need to nurture the new generation of maritime talents to continue the good maritime heritage of Hong Kong.  

To foster the manpower development of the maritime industry, the Government will inject HK$200 million to the Maritime and Aviation Training Fund to provide students and the in-service practitioners of the maritime and aviation industry with more comprehensive and diversified training incentive schemes and scholarship programmes.

HKMW 2018 offers more than 50 activities organised by 60 local and international maritime bodies.   The activities cover eight themes, namely shipping and maritime, maritime law and arbitration, ship finance, marine insurance, ship management, marine technology, port and logistics, and maritime education and career.

Through a series of conferences and seminars, workshops, industry briefings, visits, business networking gatherings, competitions, exhibitions, etc., the international and local industries gather together to promote Hong Kong as the preferred base for operating maritime business and enhance the awareness of general public towards maritime and port industry.